The Legend of Zelda: The Hallucination
by hotpinkie
Summary: Part 2 after the Influx. The baby is born,and things seem to be going well until Zelda starts having homicidal dreams...


This is but one of the legends of which the people speak…

Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. It was a prosperous land blessed with green forests, tall mountains and peace.

But one day, a man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself. With his strength and his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom.

But then, when all hope had died and the hour of doom seemed at hand… A boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere.

Wielding the blade of evil's bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light.  
This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time.

The boy's tale was passed down through generations until it became legend…

It came to be known as…

The Legend of Zelda

Prelude…

A promise is a promise. He pledged revenge…revenge for his day of defeat. That fateful day where only one man got in his way and ruined everything. Everything that could have been his, and should have. He deserved it, didn't he? All that hard work and ass kissing for all those years–everything he sacrificed–to receive all that power he longed and hoped for. And finally, when it was almost all his–when he was at the climax of receiving the world itself–the kid came along. Then it all collapsed. Ganondorf never accepts defeat…never… He said he would find a way out of that prison they sent him into…locked within the Golden Power itself. And he managed to slip through, break free, and hid while he thought of the most perfect scheme that would blow the minds of all the people of Hyrule and of those distant.  
Oh…the sweet, sweet taste of much longed for revenge.

Looking into her mirror, she combed her long strands of golden, silky hair, her blue eyes glowing from the moonlight. She smiled at her lovely reflection of pure beauty that was before her. Her lips were a deep pink, and her skin flawless. She was considered one of the loveliest creatures of Hyrule.  
There was a knock on her door. "Princess Zelda…" Then, a split second later, the soft knock went to a wild bang. "PRINCESS ZELDA? PRINCESS ZELDA!" Recognizing the voice, the princess jumped up and ran to answer the door of her room. It was Impa, her aunt, of course. She had her hands crossed and a smile on her face. "Lights out," she proclaimed, "I wanted to say good–why aren't you in your sleepwear yet, Princess?" Zelda looked down at herself and saw the lovely dress of pink, white, and silk that was on her. Oh, great… she thought. "I was just about to do that before you knocked, ma'am," she answered with a royal smile. Impa nodded, even though it looked like she didn't believe her that much. "Right… Goodnight, Zelda," she told her.  
"Goodnight… Oh, and Impa…?" "Yes?" Zelda hesitated before answering, "Um… Can you make sure I'm not interrupted tonight? I really need to get some rest." Then, nodding with a soft smile, she left. Afterwards, Zelda abruptly shut her door and locked it with her key. She went by her window, opened it, and then looked out to see if there were any guards in view. She sighed a breath of relief as she blew out her candle and carefully climbed out of her window. Who would have known what Zelda was up to all those nights when they all thought she was in her warm cozy bed, sleeping liking an angel. She successfully managed to escape many nights in a row for a while now and found her way in the market place. It's not like she knew how to fool those guards all on her own. Someone had taught her. He taught her. He was the very reason she was even out here tonight.  
She waited in the dark by a shop, all alone. Zelda tried to pretend she wasn't scared, even though she was trembling at every single noise she heard. Five minutes went by, then ten. Where is he? She thought, getting more angry and annoyed than worried. Thinking he was not going to make it tonight, she turned around and began to head home.  
She felt a touch on her shoulder, and with an instant rush of panic coming over her, Zelda turned around with her eyes shut and side-kicked who she thought was her predator. Of course, she regretted it later on when she recognized whose yelp it was and opened her eyes.  
"LINK!" She ran to the man who was now on the ground, embracing his stomach. "I'm SOOO sorry!" she exclaimed as she helped him up. His light blue eyes looked at her and his soft lips gave her a weak smile. "No, it's my fault," he told her. "Now I know never to surprise you again." Zelda smiled broadly, and then gave Link an affectionate hug that didn't end. "I thought you forgot about me," she whispered, moving a strand of blond hair away from his face. "Of course I didn't," he replied. But, before he could explain himself, Zelda sunk her lips into his and gave him a long, supple kiss. Who would have known? Zelda, the beautiful princess of Hyrule, and Link, a true hero with tights and a tunic, would surely fall in love? Now, they were eight-teen years old, and they knew what they were doing. This was the perfect secret relationship that no one would know about.  
But he knew…and he was watching… And he couldn't wait.

No one could believe their eyes the following evening at the dining table. "May I have another glass of milk, sir?" Zelda asked her personal waiter and chef as she gorged down her evening meal and her seconds. Impa watched her carefully, struck with curiosity as she wondered about the sudden change in the petite lady's appetite. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked the princess.  
"Yes," Zelda answered her. "I've just never felt this ravenous before." The second glass came, and she decided to take a sip and slow down. She looked down at her bloated, full stomach. All at once, she began to feel faint and nauseous. How much did I eat? She wondered in her mind. Is there something wrong with me? Then, she felt it. She couldn't stop it either. The acidy vomit went from her stomach, to her throat, and out her mouth so quickly that it were almost as if it didn't happen. Impa jumped up, mouth agape. "Princess Zelda! What–? We need some water here!" She, and many of the servants, began to run around frantically as Zelda only sat there, astonished as she just realized why she didn't feel quite as normal as she usually did.  
Oh no… she thought to herself. "Oh no…"

Impa took it upon herself that night to tuck Zelda in herself. She felt her forehead with the palm of her hand. "What happened?" she asked the princess. Zelda only shrugged her shoulders, even though she knew the answer to that question very well. There was silence for a few seconds as Impa stared at Zelda, as if she was trying to find the answer by the look on her face. "Do you think you'll feel well enough for the Royal Hylian Ball next week?" she finally asked her. "You know you can't stay single forever." Zelda gulped as she tried to figure out a way to slide pass this one. "Um…maybe," was all she could think of. Impa sighed as she motioned that she was about to leave the room. "Well, then goodnight, Princess," she told her, "And don't worry, I've got the guards covered." Zelda jumped up from bed. "WHAT?" she proclaimed. Impa gave her a look of confusion.  
"You know…for your restful sleep," she answered her. Relaxing with a relieved sigh, she laid back down. "Oh, alright. Goodnight." Unfortunately, when she left the room she blew out the candle as well. Carefully, Zelda got out of bed. Great… she thought, now I can't see anything. Trying to get to her window, she bumped into her dresser, then the wall until she finally reached it. Slowly she opened it, and then looked out for guards again. There was one by the garden who seemed as if had fallen asleep on the roses. With an unsure feeling, Zelda climbed down her window, holding onto the bricks for support. She moved past the guards and climbed a hill the rest of the way so they wouldn't see her–the same route as always. The next thing she knew, she was at the marketplace once again. She waited for Link, thinking about how she would tell him. Zelda knew it was the right thing to do. How am I supposed to tell him…? She thought to herself, now quite worried. I mean, it's partly his fault anyway. Actually, it IS his fault! Thinking of that made her smile. But, the bigger problem was…how was she supposed to tell Impa? And how would the royal throne of Hyrule react to her news?  
"Oh my… How am I going to tell him…?" "Tell me what?" Quickly, the princess turned around, but didn't use violence this time to cope with her surprise. She saw before her a handsome, smiling Link with his arms behind his back. She smiled back, but didn't kiss or hug him as usual. "Oh, it's you! You scared me…again," she told him, avoiding his question. Sensing something was wrong, Link released his arms from aback to reveal a picturesque flower, unlike any that was in her garden. Beaming broadly, Zelda grabbed the flower from his hand. "Oh, it's so pretty! I love you so much!" Without thinking, she kissed his lips, but then regretted it when she saw the sour look on his face afterwards.  
"Er…Zelda?" "……Y-Yeah…?" "Did your aunt cook for you again today?" "No…I…um…Well, you see…" she began, but couldn't finish. "Is there something wrong?" he asked her. "Are you feeling okay? You seem pale. You can tell me anything, you know that." Then, she yelled the words that she hoped would never come out of her mouth. "LINK, YOU IDIOT, I'M PREGNANT!" That's when Zelda wondered if it were truly possible for a man's skin to change from peach to pale white that quickly. She had never seen Link so astounded. "Um…Link, honey, are you all right?" she asked as she took his hand. Perhaps I should have found a more appropriate way to spill the beans to him. Finally, he seemed to come back into reality. Softly holding her stomach, he looked down and smiled. "You mean…Little Link is in there?" Zelda laughed smugly. "It's more Little Zelda than it is Little Link." Then, he gave her a big hug, and she hugged him back. "I'm so happy you aren't upset," Zelda said, "But, I don't think I should tell Aunt Impa." "Well, I think she's sort of going to notice, Zelda." Knowing he was right, she scrunched her face. "And that ball is next week. How am I supposed to tell her everything? About you and me and the baby, and, well, everything!" "For a spoiled princess you sure worry a lot," Link teased. "Okay, good. Then you'll come to the ball and you'll tell her everything!" she exclaimed.  
"What? Wait, Zelda–" "Oh, thank you, Link! I knew I could count on you!" she finished, and then gave him a quick kiss, "I have to leave." Hurriedly, she ran off, leaving Link dumbfounded. "Zelda!" he cried out, "WAIT!" Unfortunately, there wasn't a reply. She leaves me with all the dirty work, Link thought, and then heaved a sigh.

The rest of the week leading to the ball was lunacy. Everyone was running around all over the castle getting prepared for the event. Zelda, however, remained in her room as she ate cake and knitted blankets for her baby. Even though she was apprehensive on the subject, a part of her was filled with excitement. Would she bear a boy or girl Hylian? What would she name it? Of course, there was the concern of becoming very fat as well. Maybe I should slow down with the desserts, she would think, so I don't look like I gained too much weight…Or, I should eat everything in sight so no one will notice that I have a baby in my abdomen. Evidently though, that was a stupid idea also. Zelda knew that she laid all the pressure of revealing the truth to everyone to Link, knowing that he never really did agree to it, but went on with the idea to please her. The most obvious reason Zelda didn't want everyone to find out about the relationship right away was from the risk of rejection. Even though Link was pleasing to the eye, he wasn't exactly king material. He shows more leg than Zelda reveals her neck. Also, he is not a prince or of any political or royal background. Sure, he'd be fit as a head guard in the eyes of the sovereigns of Hyrule, but he wouldn't be first choice as king. But they loved each other, and that was all that counted. Link knew how to fight, use a sword, and treat a lady like a treasure and not property. Zelda remembered the first day she realized how much she cared for him. It was that day in the garden when she was sixteen. Link had decided to "drop by for a visit" and was caught by the guards. As they were debating whether to lock him up or throw him off of the property, Zelda caught a glimpse of their unfortunate prisoner.  
"Take your hands off of him!" she commanded.  
"But, our dear princess, he is a trespasser and–" "I said, OFF!" And her orders were obeyed. They spent the day together in the garden. They talked about anything and everything. She had never been so close to everyone in her life as she was with Link that day. She could understand his need for adventure and how he must feel not having a steady place to live. And Zelda knew that Link valued her opinions and points of view in life. When she had asked him why he had highly risked being captured by guards in daylight just to visit her (which, in fact, he did), his reply was, "I don't know. I just felt as if I had to see you." With that response came a smile that was more than words could ever say and worth more than all the rupees that could ever be offered to her. And at that moment, she didn't know why, but she kissed him. The affair didn't begin right away, probably because of the fear of commitment at such an early age. It was probably on Zelda's eighteenth birthday, when Link came knocking on her window at night to bring her a gift he bought for her. Just the fact that he remembered her birthday was just enough for Zelda. Ever since then, they've been inseparable…well, during the night, that is.  
And now, they were going to have a child. A part of her wanted to tell Impa about her and Link just then, before the ball, so Impa wouldn't waste her time. But, she didn't want to ruin a good time for the whole family. So, she waited, and decided to let Link do it. Besides, it was his fault, anyway.

It was the night Zelda greatly anticipated. The Royal Hylian Ball. Her seamstress prepared a dress for Zelda of fine silks as Impa commented on how Zelda had gained some weight since she was last sized. "I don't know…Maybe we should have gone with the royal red silk curtains instead of the blue suede…" Impa told her niece. "What do you think?" Zelda, not paying much attention to what was being said, promptly looked up when she heard her name. "What?" she replied dully. Impa shook her head at her, "I swear, what has been wrong with you lately? You've been almost as dense as a log." Impa then walked away, leaving Zelda feeling even more worried than before.  
Oh, wonderful…she thought, Impa is so overwhelmed about the party that she's going to be furious when I, I mean Link, tells her about the pregnancy. Since the thought of that was very overpowering, Zelda went to her room and began knitting a sweater for her infant. The ball would be in several hours, and, until then, here she would stay and knit all her troubles away.

Before she knew it, Zelda had been knitting for hours, having made a read sweater and brown blanket. Now, it was almost time for the big ball, and she couldn't be any more nervous than she was now.  
There was a knock at her window.  
Anxiously, she rushed to and opened it to find a smiling Link. "Hey, fatso," was his greeting to her. Quite upset with his welcoming, she harshly closed the window on him. Unfortunately, when she heard the yelp from outside, Zelda looked down and saw the tips of his fingers sticking out. Gasping, she opened it again. "Sorry," she said, then helped him in, "You deserved it, anyway. For calling me fat. I know I've probably gained four or five pounds in the last week." "Am I invited to this great 'ball' thing of yours?" Link asked, "Or am I not enough of a gentleman or don't have enough rupees in my wallet?" Zelda smiled, but then shook her head at him. "Of course," she answered, "How else are you–" "Why are you bailing this all out on me?" he interrupted, pretty much predicting what she was going to say, "This is your responsibility, too." Zelda just wanted to be so angry at Link at that point, but she couldn't. Because she knew he was right. All her life she's been given everything she wants and, even though she is a good person, has been spoiled rotten as well. She wanted her own rose garden, she got one. She wanted Link, and she got him too! And, even though she didn't ask for this baby, in her heart she wanted it as well. Now, it was time to start acting like a real adult and not a pampered brat.  
"Fine," she replied after a moment of silence, "I'll tell her. But you'll have to come with me…Is that what you're going to wear?" Link looked down at himself, wearing the usual: white tight, boots and a short tunic, this time a noble red color. He shrugged his shoulders as if it were no big deal. "Yeah. So?" Zelda chuckled and smiled at his response. That's another thing she liked about Link. He never cared much about what other people thought of his appearance. "You know, you have some pretty brainless guards," he commented, "I came here tonight without a problem. They're all by the gates, welcoming all those prudish snotty people you invited to your wonderful ball." Of course, her boyfriend was a major smart alleck as well. "Link, let's just go downstairs and get this over with." Pulling his hand, she opened the door and left her room, dragging him downstairs to where Impa was once again observing her curtains. "IMPA!" Zelda exclaimed, "Aunt Impa! Look who's here!" She turned around and then smiled in a quite pleased but also quite confused manner. "Oh, Link! Welcome!" she greeted, then narrowed her eyes, "…How'd you get here?" Link opened his mouth to say something, but was hastily interrupted by Zelda. "We really need to talk you…RIGHT NOW," she hinted, "Right now meaning as in now." "Yeah…what she said." "What's this all about, you two?" she asked them. "You know this is the biggest event of Hyrule of the year, and Zelda, you still need to meet all those people." But, Zelda insisted, "Please! This is important! Let's go in the other room. Please!" Marching in front of them, Impa went the other direction. "Fine, but you better make this quick." "How do you think she'll take the news?" Link whispered to Zelda before they followed Impa. "You know…" she began, "I have a strong feeling that she might handle this better than I would expect."

"WHAT!" Uh oh… was the first thought that ran through Zelda's and Link's minds when they saw Impa's reaction. The woman firmly rose from her chair and looked at the couple sternly. Her eyes seemed to glare red and she looked as if steam were to come out of her nostrils at any given time. Impa was definitely not as lenient as Zelda hoped her aunt would be.  
"I absolutely cannot BELIEVE you Princess Zelda!" Impa shouted. "How could you keep something as substantial as this a secret from me for so long? Especially now! NOW! The day of the ball! The day where you're supposed meet someone and fall in love and–" "IMPA!" Zelda yelled, interrupting her, "For goodness sake, haven't you been listening to a word I've said? I already AM in love!" Then, Zelda stood up and the aunt and niece began to argue and yell at one another. Link, on the other hand, didn't know what to do besides watch them. Then, an idea hit him. He went forth to the bickering relatives and said, "Guys…er, girls! Stop quarreling about this. Impa, you should have enough respect for your niece to value her choice and Zelda, you should respect your aunt enough to not scream right in her face! You both are acting like little babies. And I don't feel really safe knowing that babies are in charge of Hyrule and not reasonable and responsible adults." To Link's surprise that made them hush up. After a moment, Impa took a deep breath. "We shouldn't discuss this now," she ordered, "But you, Zelda, still have many, many men out there you need to meet and dance with. Whether you plan on marrying any of them or not." Zelda nodded, even though she didn't seem very happy with the idea of it. "And you," Impa continued, indicating Link, "…we've got a lot of work to do if you're going to be the next king of Hyrule." This made Link turn white again. Impa smirked.  
"That's right. You better believe it; because that's the road you're heading to now." Zelda moved a strand of her long hair back behind her. She knew what she had to do now. As she was about to leave, Impa took a hold of her arm. "Princess," she whispered, "…I know he's hard to resist when it comes to your eyes…but, does your heart feel the same?" With a soft smile, Zelda answered her, "My heart feels three times more to whatever my eyes feel." "I hope you know what you're doing." "Don't worry, Impa. I know." With that, Zelda moved forward, and found herself back in the dining room, now filled with many elegant people. Zelda gulped at the sight of them. Slowly, she walked up to a man and tapped his shoulder. It wasn't exactly the most polite and ladylike way of getting someone's attention, but it was all she could think of at the time.  
He turned around. Even though she had no idea who it was, Zelda swore that she had seen him before. Especially those eyes of his. "Good evening," she introduced, "I am Princess Zelda. And you would be…?" "I am Gain of…Gerudo Valley." Gerudo Valley…? Zelda wondered, Wasn't…? No, it couldn't be.  
Suddenly, things were quiet, until Gain spoke up. "Would you…like to dance, Princess?" "Yes," she answered plainly as he took her hand for a waltz. He decided to engage in a conversation with her.  
"What are your political intentions for Hyrule when you become queen, my lady?" "Uh…I haven't really thought about it yet." "Oh, has something else been keeping you occupied?" Zelda didn't like the tone in his voice just then. It sounded like he knew more than what he was leading on. "No," she replied coldly, "Not at all." His smirk was sneaky and deceiving. "I'm sure you'll make a wonderful queen," Gain told her. "And I'm sure you're king will be very lucky to have you and the child." Instantaneously, Zelda pulled away from him. "Excuse me?" she said, "How would you…?" "Oh, I know, bitch. I know." Her eyes widened, not believing what they were seeing.  
"No! It can't be!' she proclaimed a bit too loud, drawing some attention, "The Triforce sealed you away! You…No!" His grin widened incredibly.  
"IMPA!" Zelda ran trying to find her aunt. Within a split second, Impa was to her. "What's wrong?" she asked her, seeing the fear in her niece's eyes. "It's-It's him! It's him! Oh my goodness, it's HIM!" Zelda kept yelling frantically. "Who?" "Ganondorf!" Impa gave Zelda a puzzled look. "Excuse me? Don't you think our guards would notice if Ganondorf walked through the doors of this castle, Zelda?" Out of fear and anger, Zelda stomped her foot. "That's the point! It's him but it's not him. He's in disguise, Impa! He's right over there!" Zelda stated, and then pointed to the man who called himself Gain.  
"Stay right here," Impa said, and then went off to speak with him. Zelda watched her walk into the next room and the movement of their lips as the two spoke. To her surprise, Impa came back looking as if things were as normal as usual. In fact, she even brought Gain along with her.  
"Zelda…" Impa began, as if she were going to give her a lecture, "This is Gain, a politician in Gerudo Valley." Zelda looked at him and shivered. "I don't understand what happened," he began. "She saw me and started yelling this nonsense that I was someone named Ganondorf." "Zelda, I think you need to give an apology." "Excuse me?" "I am very sorry for the inconvenience, madam," Gain said. "Zelda? Well?" Impa waited for a request for forgiveness. However, the princess only gave him a disgusted look then spat on his face.  
"Zelda!" But it was too late. She already started running in the other direction. I need to find Link, she thought, We're in big trouble. She found him with a group of maidens, showing off. She didn't have time to be angry at him now. There was a major crisis at risk. Rudely, she pulled him away and took him aside.  
"Link," she began, not letting him speak, "…He's here." "Who's here?" "HE is! He as in him! HIM!" "Who!" Link kept insisting, becoming confused from his panicking girlfriend.  
"Ganondorf!" She whispered loudly.  
"What!" At the corner, she pointed to where he was conversing with Impa. Link commented, "That doesn't look like Ganondorf." "He's probably in disguise. He went by Gain and he cussed at me! It's him, I know it is. I could see it in his eyes." Link stared a little longer, until Gain caught a glimpse of him, and jumped back. "There is no possible way that could be him," Link said, "How did he get out?" "That's what I'm trying to figure out," Zelda told him, "and Impa doesn't believe me so he's got everyone fooled. He's after something. That's why he's here tonight." "What are we suppose to do?" Link asked, and Zelda replied that she didn't know. "If he messes with this baby I'll kill him with my bare hands," she said with all seriousness, placing her hands on her stomach. Link took her in his arms and held her close. Zelda hugged him back tightly.  
He was back. Already, he was back.

For the rest of the night, from a distance, Zelda kept her eye on Gain. She didn't trust him the least bit. She rejected any offers to dance and stayed pinned to Link's side, squeezing his hand as if it were a matter of life or death. In this case, to her, it might have been. He's trying to act so kind and innocent…Zelda thought, and the scoundrel knows I'm on to him, too. He's going to try and pull something tonight. I can sense it. Suddenly, the music stopped. Impa made her way through the center with a pleasant look on her face. The room became silent. What is she doing? was the thought that rang through Zelda mind as her aunt cleared her throat to begin a speech. "Welcome, all gentlemen and maidens of Hyrule and of other residence. I thank you all for coming to my niece's, our own Princess Zelda's, ball. She has already chosen her king, a friend since youth, and I apologize for all the men here that wanted a chance for her hand," Impa began, and indicated her niece and her fiancé for admiration from the guests, "…Now, we have a special guest today who has just joined the political party of Gerudo Valley. Since there is only one male born there per one hundred years, this makes him the only man on the political party among ALL women! He would like to make a very important speech. His name is Sir Gain." Zelda scowled as Gain made his way through the center. Then, he began.  
"I've always admired Hyrule…its people, the market place, and its lovely fields. It has been my dream to have the chance to rule Hyrule someday, and be even more than that…" That's when everything erupted into a complete pandemonium.  
He reached for his face and seemed to peal off his skin, causing shouts to erupt from the room. It revealed his face. The familiar face of a tyrant named Ganondorf. With the snap of his fingers, every door was closed and locked, and the undead rose and stood in watch. Panic erupted, but Ganondorf hushed them.  
Even Impa was astounded, but was too afraid to make a move.  
"I could've had the world!" the madman exclaimed, banging his foot to the ground, which caused the whole room to shake. "The Golden Power could have been mine! But then, this kid came along and ruined everything with his little trollop!" He pointed his finger to Link and Zelda, and began to walk towards them, but stopped halfway there. Ganondorf smirked at them.  
"Thought you got rid of me, huh?" he grinned, "Thought you saved your precious Hyrule! Well, I found a way out. I'm here now and this is my revenge. My revenge for the power and glory that you took from me! And now, I am the king! I have claims to this castle! And pretty soon, this world will belong to me." "We stopped you once, Ganondorf, and we'll do it again!" Link yelled out to him, which caused a chuckle from his mouth. "Little Link…no wonder you possessed the force of courage. But, courage isn't enough…" Suddenly, from his vest he pulled out a tiny bottle. "I have a little wedding gift for you, Princess," was what he said right before he opened the bottle and dozens of poes took over the castle. Everyone ran in many different directions, trying to avoid the deadly ghosts as Ganondorf laughed his head off. Impa grabbed Zelda's hand, then Link's, and led them off.  
"I told you!" Zelda yelled, "I told you!" But, Impa ignored her as the three ran from the attacking poes. "Where are you taking us?" Link asked.  
"I need to find some magic," she briefly explained, "He's going to take over Hyrule!" However, when they made it, an undead stood right in front of the door. It jumped on Link and began to suck on his energy. He reached behind him, took his sword, and pierced its side as Impa grabbed her key and opened the door. She began to rummage through all her bottles of magic and pulled a blue one out.  
"What's that?" Zelda asked.  
"I was hoping that I never had to use it," Impa began, "But I feel as if I must. I need more time to figure out a plan…" "Impa, what are you doing?" "We can't stay in this time, you two," she explained, "This potion will freeze this time period as we are sent to a different one. However, it will only last for a limited amount of time." Link stepped up, "What are you saying? We are going to be reborn?" Impa nodded, "Exactly." "Won't we remember anything?" Zelda asked, now terrified of the idea. Sadly, Impa shook her head, "The ones who are born again will not." "And what about you?" Zelda asked her again, "Will you…be born again?" Impa responded, "The spell only works on the youth. And you two are considered to still be in your youth. Are you ready?" "So, we'll be in a whole other time," Zelda concluded.  
"In a whole different world," Link added.  
"And we will not remember one another," Zelda stated.  
"I will come get you when the time has come," Impa finished. She grabbed a large book with her as well. It was then when she opened the bottle, and the magic spread all over the room. After that, everything changed.

Impa awoke and found herself by a tree. Nothing was the way she remembered it to be. There were these items riding by full of people with wheels that went faster than any horse could ever ride. Women exposed their bodies with tiny skirts and little tops. This world and time was not as quiet and peaceful as hers. She looked down and saw two little babies resting in her arms. She gasped at the sight of them. Link… Zelda… They were tiny little things with curved ears instead of pointy ones. She felt her own ears as well–curved and short. Instantly, she stood up as she wondered what to do with the children. "I can't raise them…" she said to herself, "and they must not know about any of this until I can find a way to fix it." Suddenly, an idea came to her mind. Impa looked around at all the many strange looking homes there were. She went and left baby Link on the doorstep to one of them. She knocked loudly at the door than hid with Zelda in her arms. She watched a woman answer the door who was shocked to see the child laying there. Immediately, she brought the infant in her home.  
Impa did the same for Zelda a few blocks away.  
I hope this will work, she thought to herself, and I pray that their love will bring them together again, even though they won't remember a thing of what had happened. For now, she was trapped in the future. A strange future at that. She would have to find a place to live and get accustomed to the different way of life.  
But, sooner or later time would run out. And the clock was ticking even now… 1…2…3…

The Influx 17 Years Later… Part One:  
The Beginning

"Luke…Luke, honey…WAKE UP!" Luke tossed and turned in his bed, ignoring his adoptive mother's wake-up call. Mrs. Archer grunted as she tried again. This time she smacked his shoulder. "Luke, get up! You'll be late for school. You have a big test today." Moaning, Luke opened his sky blue eyes. He yawned, and then sat up with messy blond hair. "Thanks, Mom," he replied, "…I think." She smirked at him. "Oh. You think, huh?" she commented, "Well, maybe you'll be more sure when you finally get out of bed and get dressed. Your little girlfriends may enjoy seeing you half bare, but no one in this house does." With saying that, she left his room to let him change.  
Luke sighed. It was going to be just another one of those days again. He got out of bed and stretched for a few minutes. Then, he picked up a pair of weights and did a few bicep curls and triceps extensions before he got dressed and headed for school. He combed his hair and on his head he put on a backwards red cap. Then, the usual. A muscle shirt, loose faded blue jeans, and one small loop earring. He grabbed his backpack and headed downstairs. His mother, sister, and father were at the kitchen table, eating a breakfast of pancakes and sausage, which Luke referred to as cholesterol on a plate. "Luke, dear, are you going to eat anything?" Mrs. Archer asked him. Luke shook his head. "Not today," he replied, and then patted his flat, hard stomach, "I'm on a diet." Mrs. Archer only rolled her eyes at him. His sister, Aryll of fifteen years, laughed. Mr. Archer looked up from his newspaper and grinned. "Plan on bringing us home a couple of A's today, son?" he asked. Luke made an awkward face. "If I find any I will." "I mean your own." "I've got to run, Dad. I'll be late for homeroom." Trying to avoid the subject of good grades, Luke ran off to school. It was a Monday morning and he absolutely hated Mondays. It always meant that there was a whole week ahead of him. And here he was, stuck in the brutal world of high school. Well, maybe not so brutal. He was, in fact, in the "in" crowd and managed around a B average. He was admired by all students–freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors–and almost no one had ever a bad thought in their heads about the popular Luke Archer.

"Gosh, I hate that Luke Archer. He always thinks he's so perfect and that everyone loves him!" "Uh…Alice? If you haven't noticed, everyone does love him." Alice Elms and her best friend, Lila, were standing by their lockers, looking out at the crowd of boys that were across the hall in plain view. Among them was the subject of their discussion: Luke Archer. Alice looked at Lila and frowned. "Why? Do you love him?" she asked her.  
"If he'd let me." Alice rolled her eyes. "He's no better than you, me, or anyone else in this school," she stated. "That jerk is just so full of himself." "But it doesn't make him any less gorgeous," Lila responded.  
"Whatever." Alice looked into the mirror she had in her locker and put her long, golden blond hair in a pony tail. "How do I look today?" she asked Lila, who answered, "Like a nun. As usual." Alice sighed. "Let's go. We'll be late for class." As they began to walk past the crowd of boys, Luke caught sight of the two, quite pretty girls. He smirked, knowing how a particular blond named Alice Elms felt about him. Holding back a laugh, he called out to her.  
"Hey, Alice!" Instantly, she stopped, and looked at him, rather nervous. "Yes?" she answered.  
"Do you want to go to the school dance with me?" Not only Alice was shocked by the question, but so were Luke's male friends. "Really?" she asked in an almost hopeful way.  
"No!" Then, everyone began to laugh, except Alice and Lila, of course. Disappointed and angry, Alice stormed off into homeroom. That jerk! She kept thinking to herself, I am WAY too good for him. Across the hall from her, Luke couldn't stop smirking at his own wit. He enjoyed getting on the innocent girl's nerves. She'd actually be cute if she stopped dressing like an old woman, he thought. With her long skirts, thick sweaters, and a plain hairstyle Alice wasn't exactly considered à la mode, or, in English, trendy. However, her face was a work of art. Her heavenly blue eyes made the room sparkle, the shape and texture of her lips were almost perfect, and the color of her skin was a soft, creamy peach. It were almost as if he had seen that glow in her face somewhere before.  
How could I have been so stupid? Alice continued to think to herself, …there isn't even going to be a school dance! I can't believe I always let him get the best of me. Alice kept her eye on the clock as she waited for the bell to ring for first period. I can't wait until this day is over. Unfortunately, though, there were many more days to come.

Here he was. Calculus. Luke was so terrible at math that it wasn't even funny. The only reason he took this class was to please his parents. He managed to pull off a C-, barely, with a great deal of help from tutors. And today was the semester test. Luke began to bite his nails, but then stopped when he could taste the clear polish of his manicured fingers. He greatly feared failing this test and even this class.  
"Take out your pencils and put everything else under your desks," his teacher, Mr. Collins, instructed them. He then began to pass out the exams. When Luke received his, he looked over it and widened his eyes. Did he even know this stuff? Then, he looked over at the girl sitting beside him: Alice. Her paper was lying on her desk and she seemed to be pretty confident. Luke looked back at his own paper and bit his lower lip. Great… "You may begin." After that statement came a sound of pages turning and pencils speedily writing. Taking his time, Luke turned the page and stared at the work in front of him. His mind was blank. I can't believe this, he thought, placing his forehead on the palm of his hand, …I spent forever studying and now I can't even remember what all these signs and symbols mean. His eyes meandered off to Alice, who was writing as if her life depended on it; as if calculus was the simplest thing in the world. Then, an idea popped into his head. He wasn't going to go with it at first. But he became desperate. Just a few answers, he thought. Subtly, he moved his eyes to her exam. Slowly picking up his pencil, he copied down her first answer, and then her second. Then, unexpectedly, Alice looked at him from the corner of her eye. She dropped her pencil and gave him a revolting glare. "Oh my gosh!" she shouted, "You're copying my answers!" Mr. Collins looked up from his desk, stunned. Luke gave her a weird look. "What are you talking about?" he asked, as if he had no idea of what she was saying. That caused Alice to break out screaming.  
"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!" she yelled, getting up from her desk, "YOU ARE SUCH A ROTTEN CHEATER! YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE SOOO PERFECT AND IT'S IMPECCABLY ALRIGHT TO CHEAT OFF LITTLE ME BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU'RE SOME HOT BIG SHOT WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD KISSING YOUR FEET!" Frowning, Mr. Collins walked over to the two and took both of their tests. "That's enough," he ordered, "The both of you need to go to the office immediately." Luke and Alice's eyes widened, and they said in unison, "What?" "You heard me," the teacher replied, "and I'll expect to be seeing you after school as well. Now, go!" Alice stormed out in a very enraged and distressed manner. Luke, more calmly, followed her out.

It was three: thirty and school was out. All students were home now except for two. Alice and Luke sat in Mr. Collins's room as they waited for an assignment. "The two of you," he began, "are going to finish this test without any cheating, yelling, screaming, or badmouthing. Do you understand?" "Yes, Mr. Collins," Alice answered.  
"Yeah," was Luke's reply. The two were sitting at opposite ends of the room as he gave them another fresh exam. He then went back to his desk and watched them carefully. "You have a full hour," he confirmed. Alice turned the page and began working. With a sigh, Luke did the same and once again looked over the page. At that point, he didn't care whether or not he passed it or failed. He wasn't stressing himself out to do very well to please his parents and perhaps himself. He was just going to try and see what happened from there. With that attitude, his mind went into a clear focus and he actually knew what he was doing as he started to work. Before he knew it, the hour flew by and he was finished. With ease, he stood up to hand Mr. Collins his test. He accepted it, skimmed it over, and then looked at Luke as he lowered his glasses. "Pretty good," he complemented, "What I don't understand is why you would look off Miss Elms's paper when it seems to me you look like you know what you're doing." "Er…I was lazy, I guess." "Go home, Luke. And as I told Alice before she left, I hope another problem like this doesn't arise," he told him, and Luke nodded. With that, the boy left the classroom. He couldn't help but feel relieved as he walked down the halls. Well, at least it can't get any worse, he thought… That is, until he walked outside of the school building and found himself face to face with an exasperated Alice.  
"How long have you been waiting here?" he asked her, quite flabbergasted at seeing her there. However, she ignored his question. "Do you know why I'm really angry, Luke?" she began, "It's not because you cheated, that we created a scene, or that I had to stay after school for detention for the first time. It's because of the way you think. Of life, of yourself. I may not be too pretty or not have the nicest clothes, but I'm fine with that. I see you walking around with your French cologne and a Gucci watch and that STILL isn't enough for you!" Luke didn't know what to tell her. He was about to say that he in fact thought she was pretty, but it didn't seem like the right time for that. He was going to answer, but Alice continued. "It must be nice having everyone love you and wanting to be your friend. And I guess it must feel pretty damn GREAT to bother and beleaguer other people who aren't as fortunate as you, huh?" Now she was getting steamed up. "Alice–" "Shut up!" she told him, "Because I really don't care. You could say you're sorry or give me some lame excuse about why you are the way you are. But it won't change anything. Now, I have to go home." With saying those last words, she ran home. At that moment, Luke felt very upset, but in more of an angry way instead of poignant. "Who does she think she is?" he said to himself, "She's the one who acts like Little Miss Brainy all the time." Heaving a sigh, he finally went home.

It was only a matter of time until the eighteenth anniversary of the journey between the two portals was to arrive. The first of February. As the years went by and Impa thought of a solution, she thought that perhaps this spell wasn't such a good idea. Sure, it did pause time in the past of Hyrule for a number of years, but it still didn't solve the problem. What was to happen next? However, she was certain that, if things would have turned out differently, all three of them would have ended up being prisoners to Ganondorf or even dead. Impa thought hard about it over the last eighteen years as she grew old. Old and tired. On February first, the portal would once again open, and that would mean the end of the spell. She knew for certain what she had to do now. It was now in the middle of January, three weeks away from beginning of the next month. Link and Zelda were somewhere about the city. The woman wondered if the two had even met each other yet. Impa had no idea where they were or the kind of people they turned out to be. But, she knew for a fact that they were still alive. She could sense it. Over the years, she constantly looked for answers, solutions, and tried to think up ideas. The book she had brought with her was the Book of Hylian Legends, Myths, and Secrets. It was the imperial book of the royal Hylian family. Using that, she found the information she needed to start their adventure right, and hopefully, Link and Zelda would be able to stop Ganondorf from taking over the rest of their world as well. There was also something Impa had found out about the legend. Something that even stunned her as well. I hope I'll be able to find them, she repeatedly thought, I still have enough magic to regain some of their memory, but not all of it. Impa was aware of what she was to do. Planning time was over. It was now time to put the game plan into action.  
She started with trying to think of where Link and Zelda would most likely be at. The woman had built a small house in the woods a bit off from the city and worked as a librarian. "If they are still where I had last left them, then they'd probably be attending their last year of the local high school," she thought aloud. In spite of this, she did not know how she was going to find them in the school when there were over one-thousand students who attended.  
Nothing would be as easy as it sounded. Impa would need to get a hold of year books and perhaps take on the role as a custodian to further get acquainted with them. But, how in the world would she find a year book? This made her weary. Maybe she shouldn't have held off that part for so long. Though, it does take a lot of time to carefully read the book of legends, draw conclusions, and prepare a strategy. On the other hand, if she doesn't find them on time, the portal will be closed, leaving Ganondorf to destroy their kingdom and time as they would be left stuck in a place that wasn't their own. Impa had to be quick. Time was running out.

Alice put her two thumbs on middle C before she started. Then, with a deep sigh, she began to gracefully play her piano. The movement of her fingers took over and the sound that was created from them was the most beautiful ever heard. Alice began to sing as she played. The high pitched voice that came from her throat sounded girly and harmonious. With music, she always felt jovial. Alice felt as if no one could hurt her or make her feel bad about herself. She became one with herself. She was proud and strong, yet still a fragile, delicate young woman.  
Though, a knock on her door ruined the harmony of it all.  
"ALICE!" her mother banged, "WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE EATING TONIGHT!" With a grimace, she called back, "I'm not hungry!" Without warning, Miss Elms opened the door anyway. "Is anything wrong?" she asked her, "For someone whose birthday is coming up, you look pretty blue." Alice sighed, and then stood up. "This year isn't the same," she told her, "…We aren't going to do anything special. I still have to go to school like it was every other day." Miss Elms tried to smile at her daughter. "But you'll be eighteen, Alice. You can't skip your last school birthday for some silly trip," she explained. "But don't worry. I'll take you to the mall first thing and you can buy anything you want!" "Really?" "Except books. You read way too much! It wouldn't do you any bad if you picked out some cute outfits instead," she commented, "…actually, let's go right now! Then you'll have something special to wear on your birthday!" Without letting Alice speak, she grabbed her arms and led her out of her room, down the stairs, out the house, and to the car.  
That's funny… Most girls would love a trip to the mall. But, Alice wasn't like most girls. All she wanted to do was stay home and sing. Sing and play her piano. Now, her mother was going to buy her all these clothes and shoes…and purses…make-up… Then Luke Archer wouldn't have anything bad to say about her. Then she would be good-looking and he'll regret everything!  
Suddenly, Alice had never been so excited in her life. "Mom, drive faster," she said, "I have the perfect idea of what I want to buy." Miss Elms smiled broadly, partly happy and the other part surprised that her daughter was actually interested in the way she looked. But, what she didn't know was that Alice's intentions weren't what she expected them to be. Even if she did know, she probably wouldn't care much. Just as long as her Alice was happy for once, she would do almost everything she asked for.

School on Monday morning was the usual for Luke. He showed his new sneakers off to his friends, that's about it. However, there was something else that wasn't as usual as always. Besides his own, there was a different crowd that morning. It was the shock and amazement of the school. No one could believe what they saw because it was about who they saw. Trying to see what all the commotion was about, he walked over to locker 237…Alice's locker.  
"Wow! You look great!" "Those shoes are so cute!" "I love your make-up! Those colors really go on you." "You really have great legs. I'm surprised you covered them up for so long!" Pushing through everyone, he saw what the ruckus was all about. What the…? Alice didn't even look like she was even Alice anymore. The only way he could even recognize her was by the glow in her eyes and the brightness of her blond hair. She wore tight blue jeans, a pink sweater, spiked-high-heeled shoes, and carried a leather hand bag. Her hair was loosely curled, and on her lips she wore hot pink lipstick with a glossy coat. Alice smiled at Luke, but in more of a sly way instead of as if she was happy to see him. "You look like a hooker," he told her.  
Her cheeks became red and she gave him a hostile look. She was about to scream something back, but then remembered what Mr. Collins had warned her about. Instead, she took a calm, deep breath and replied, "Whatever." It was then when Luke took her in his arms and kissed her in front of everyone.  
But then Alice woke up from her dream.  
When she opened her eyes and saw the surroundings of her room, she groaned. "Damn it!" she cried, throwing her pillow on the ground. Yes, she had her clothes from the mall, not exactly the ones from her dream, for her mother could never afford for her daughter to get a real leather handbag, but it was still Sunday night. She looked at her clock and saw that it was only four in the morning. Five more hours until school, she thought to herself, and then I'll show him… Even though she enjoyed her dream a great deal, the way it ended did give her the creeps. Iw, I kissed Luke Archer, she thought, sticking out her tongue. Then, finally she went back to sleep.  
Monday morning wasn't exactly as Alice had pictured it. Yeas, she looked great. But no one really cared. Though, when Lila saw her, she squealed with excitement. "This is the first time I've ever seen the shape of your body!" she proclaimed, continuously looking up and up at her best friend's figure. "You look great!" Forcing a smile, Alice replied a weak, "Thanks." Lila's grin turned to a worried frown. "What's wrong? You should be happy!" "I'm going to be late for homeroom." Ignoring her, Alice walked off to class. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Luke with his crowd of the rest of the jerks that went to this school. Bastard! She thought. Gosh, I hate him! That good for nothing piece of– Her thoughts were interrupted when she accidentally bumped into an older woman. "Oh, I'm sorry!" Alice apologized. "I really wasn't paying attention." However, the lady didn't reply, but only stare at the features of her face as if she was trying to memorize them. Feeling awkward, Alice tried to leave. "Uh…yeah, goodbye then…" she said, but the woman wouldn't let her walk through. "I can't believe it's you," she whispered with wet eyes, as if she were about to cry, "after all these years…" Now freaked out, Alice once again tried to leave and go to homeroom.  
"Ma'am, I have no idea of what you are talking about, I HAVE TO GO, THOUGH!" With saying that, she ran off into homeroom, as she left the woman watching, now a tear leaving her eye.  
She can ran away from me…Impa thought, …but she can't run away from her destiny.

That after noon Alice walked home with an eerie feeling. "Who in the world was that crazy woman?" she thought aloud. Her birthday would be this Friday, and already things were starting to become a little odd. It was bad enough that these shoes were impossible to walk in, but to top it all off, she had to have all this weirdoes following her to school. Maybe the lady was stalking her… Maybe she was a maniac or crazed killer. That thought alone made Alice shiver. Or…maybe she was even following her right now.  
"Hey, Alice!" Not expecting to hear her named being called, she jumped and panicked. Instantly, with her eyes closed, she back kicked the person behind her. Unfortunately, she regretted it after the fact. Opening her eyes, she turned around and gasped when she saw who she had knocked down. None other than Luke Archer.  
"Oh!" she exclaimed, helping him up, "I didn't mean that. I thought you were someone else." Even though she knew it was wrong, a part of her felt very good about what she just did. Scrunching his face, he handed her a book. "You dropped this in the hallway when you were running like a maniac," he told her. Taking the school book, she thought to herself, That's because there's someone psycho following me around in there. "Thanks," she replied, trying to avoid eye contact, but then looked up at him anyway.  
Gosh, why does he have to be so cute? Too bad he's a jerk.  
"You look…different," he commented, pausing for a moment as he was looking for the right word. Alice smiled halfway. "Er…thank you, I think. Is that all?" "I guess so." "Fine. Bye." "See ya', Alice." As Alice once again began to walk home, she had a very anomalous feeling. Did I just have an almost normal conversation with Luke? She thought, taken aback at the idea. Though, she only shrugged it off with her shoulders and soon found herself at the doorstep to her home. She took out her keys and opened the door. "Mom, I'm–" Suddenly, her jaw flew open and all her books from her hands dropped to the floor. There she was.  
The woman.  
The nutty lady she met at school.  
Alice was at a loss for words. However, Miss Elms looked very happy. "Oh, Alice! I have great news for you!" she exclaimed, "This is Pamela, your biological mother's sister, your aunt." Still, Alice didn't speak a word, too overcome by shock.  
"Alice, honey, are you okay?" Miss Elms asked. However, Alice could only scream in response. It lasted quite a while, too, until Miss Elms had to go to her daughter and cover her mouth. "Perhaps you'd like to take a walk with your niece," she told Pamela, "It might knock some sense into her." Smiling, the woman nodded. Pulling her mother's hand away from her mouth, Alice argued with her. "No way! I am not going ANYWHERE with that NUTBAG!" "See you in a little bit, Alice." Now, here she was. Walking along the sidewalks with a crazy woman she didn't even know. For a while, they walked without saying a single word. Alice looked over at her a couple of times. She doesn't look like my aunt, she thought. There's just no way. I'll probably be killed by the time the night is over. Finally, Alice asked, "Where are we going?" "You'll see." They didn't stop until they were at a local, empty park area. They stood by a tree, and Alice waited as the woman tried to look for the right words to tell her niece.  
"Alice," she began, feeling weird calling her by that name, "there is something you should know, before it's too late." Puzzled, the young girl asked, "What? What is it?" At first, she didn't answer her with words. Instead, she turned her face to the tree. With astonishment, Alice watched as Pamela slowly moved her hand as it went through the tree, like magic, and then swiftly pulled it out. She gasped. "How did you–What did you–?" she tried to ask, but was at a loss for words, "Are you some kind of witch or gypsy?" Pamela chuckled. "Of course not," she replied, "Then that would mean you are. For, you can do this as well." With wide eyes, Alice reached her hand to the tree. When she was able to get it through, she pulled it back so fast that she nearly fell down.  
She was speechless.  
"The portal is not fully opened yet," she explained to Alice, "Not until the eighteenth anniversary on Friday." This was all too crazy for the young girl. "Friday?" she repeated, "As in my birthday?" Pamela nodded. "I don't get it," Alice said, "What portal is this? What's going on?" "I can't tell you everything yet," she explained, "that is, until you find him, too." "Who?" "The one who will be able to stick a part of himself inside. The one who shares your birthday. The man you were born with." "I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Alice yelled, "I need to know more!" However, her response was plain and simple. "Not until you find him."

The following day, Alice was as anxious as ever. At her locker, she was shaking frantically. Does anyone at this school have the same birth date as me? She wondered. When Lila approached her, she looked at her friend as if she were insane. "You look like you're having a seizure," she told Alice. Ignoring the smart comment, she asked Lila the question she figured she'd probably be asking for the rest of the day. "I need to know whose birthday it is this Friday." "Uh, duh, Alice. It's yours." "I mean, who else?' she asked again, saying it differently. Lila only shrugged her shoulders. "Beats me," she replied. Alice sighed as she slammed her locker shut. "What's with you lately?" she asked her, raising an eyebrow, "You've been acting really weird." "I can't tell you." "Why?" "Because I don't even know yet." This confused Lila even more than she already was. "Now, if you'll excuse me," Alice said as she began to walk away, "I need to ask a couple of guys when their birthdays are." Smiling, Lila answered, "Okay. Try not to miss the first bell." Oddly, the bell rang.

By the end of calculus, Luke couldn't take his eyes off of Alice. Why is she so fidgety? he marveled, She is such a freak. The girl wouldn't stop swaying her foot, chattering her teeth, or tapping her fingers on her desk. Feeling his stare, she turned her head and gave him a dirty look. Right away, he moved his gaze from Alice to the board, where Mr. Collins was discussing their homework for the night. "Pages 334 and 335, numbers five through twenty," he assigned them. A few seconds after saying that, the bell rang. Alice jumped from her desk and ran out the door. Luke left after her, wondering why she was acting so strange. Her destination was to the office before the start of her next class. Alice caught sight of the secretary and smiled. "Miss Somer!" she proclaimed happily. The moderately young woman smiled at the student. "Hello, Alice? What are you doing here?" "I need a favor," she answered. Miss Somer gave her a look. "What kind of a favor?" she asked her. With a gulp, Alice finished, "Can you find out whose birthday is on February first that goes to this school? I know you can." Hesitating, Miss Somer shook her hand. "I really can't do that for you, Miss Elms," she replied, "…that's private information." Alice tried again. "Yes, but that's my birthday, too! And I want to celebrate it with the person with the same date." Briefly glancing around the empty office, Miss Somer sighed. "Alright," she finally agreed, "but this only between you and me." Satisfied, she nodded as the secretary began typing on the computer before her. A second later, she smiled before answering her.  
"Oh, that's a nice surprise for you! Try guessing who it could be." "Please just tell me. I'm going to be late." Chuckling, she finally answered, "Okay… It's Luke! Luke Archer? Do you know him?" Hoping she heard her wrong, Alice tried to clear her ears with her pinky. "Um…could you repeat that? I don't think I heard you right." "Luke Archer, Miss Elms. Now, head to class." As if she was walking on a cloud, Alice left the office. No way. No way. NO POSSIBLE WAY! Because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going, she ended up bumping into Luke himself! When she looked up at him, she began screaming as if she was being attacked. Being in an awkward position, he tried to walk away from her, but she regained control of herself and grabbed his arm.  
"You…You were found on a doorstep on February first, weren't you?" she asked him, "WEREN'T YOU!" Nervously, he nodded. Then, Alice slammed her foot on the ground and said a cuss word. "NO! I HATE MY LIFE!" "Alice, shut up! What the hell is your problem?" "Don't talk to me you good for nothing–" "Starting this again, I see." That was the voice of Mr. Collins as he walked toward the two. "I could hear you all the way across the hall! I suppose you like detentions a great deal, so I'll do you the favor of giving you one today after school. See you then." As Mr. Collins walked away, Luke gave Alice a dirty look. "Great! You just gave me a detention because you decided to act like a freaking psychopath!" Not saying a word back, she ran to class.  
Mr. Collins's room seemed fairly empty after class, except for the usual two who usually found themselves in there: Alice and Luke. Mr. Collins couldn't help but smirk at the sight of the two of them sitting, once again, at the opposite ends of the room. "Both of you need to stop fighting or, I guarantee, you will end up becoming suspended." They were silent, not responding. Shaking his head, the teacher sighed. "Now, I have a short meeting I need to attend. I'll be back in a little while. Until then, I expect you two to behave. There is a teacher right across the hall if something goes wrong." Then, he left. For several minutes, silence took over. Alice tapped her fingers on her desk, figuring out what she was about to do next. Soon after, she took out a piece of notebook paper and a pencil from her backpack. Quickly, she wrote a sloppy note and folded it into a airplane. With perfect aiming, she threw it to Luke, who got hit in the head with it. The strike had actually woken him up from nearly falling asleep. He looked at the paper airplane that was lying on the floor, and then he looked at Alice, who gave him a look that seemed to say, "Pick it up, you idiot." And he did. Luke then opened the note and began to read.  
Sorry about earlier. Meet me after detention. I have to show you something important. With love,  
Alice After reading it, Luke looked over at the girl who was staring frantically at her. He raised his eyebrows and nodded at her. That gesture alone gave her a total relieved feeling throughout her body. But, it also seemed to make detention longer than it already was. Alice looked up at the lock, which read four o'clock. Only a half hour left, she thought, and then I can finally figure out what's going on. As luck would have it, it was right after that very thought when Mr. Collins had opened the door and entered the classroom. "Okay, go home," he ordered them, "Turns out the meeting is a lot longer than I would have guessed." Instantly, Alice stood up as Luke took his time. "Thank you, Mr. Collins!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, "And, I promise; I will never cause a scene like that to arise ever again!" "Yeah, thanks Mr. C." "Please just leave already," the teacher begged, "You guys are giving me a headache." And so Luke followed Alice out of the building. "What's this about?" he asked her. "To tell you the truth," Alice explained, "I really don't know." Then, she grabbed his hand and started running in the chilly late January cold. "Where are we going!" Luke called out to her, hardly able to breathe. But, the only thing she told him was, "Shut up!" Finally, they made it to the tree Pamela had shown Alice. "Look," she told Luke, then stuck her hand in the tree, then pulled it back out. Luke was bewildered and shocked at the same time. "How did you do that!" he yelled. In response, she grabbed his hand. "You can do it too, if I'm correct." Then, she stuck his hand in there as well, and he pulled it out for her. "That does NOT feel like a tree," he commented.  
"That's because it isn't," Alice said, "…my aunt told me it was some kind of realm or portal." Just as he was going to reply to her statement, she grabbed his hand once again. "C'mon, I have to show you to her!" "Wha–?" Off she went, taking Luke home with her. After a matter of minutes, they made it to her door step. Fumbling with her keys, she rushed to open her door. When she did, Alice dropped her backpack and called out to her family. "MOM! I'M HOME! WHERE'S AUNT PAMELA!" Her mother called back, "SHE'S IN THE KITCHEN!" "OKAY! THANKS!" Hearing the commotion, Pamela came from the kitchen and gasped when she saw the boy Alice had brought home with her. "You found each other!" she exclaimed, "Alice, tell your mother I'm taking you for a ride." "MOM! AUNT PAMELA IS TAKING US SOMEWHERE!" Alice screeched.  
"OKAY, HONEY! BE HOME ON TIME FOR DINNER!" "ALRIGHT!" Pamela gave her a puzzled look, but soon stopped as she took their hands and brought them out to her car. "Where are we going?" Alice asked. "To my cottage," Pamela replied, then asked the boy in the backseat by Alice, "What is your name?" "Er…Luke," he replied. She smiled when she heard him speak. "My…None of your voices have changed." However, the two did not know what she was talking about.  
The inside of Pamela's cottage was dark and shabby. "Have a seat," she ordered the young adults, "Trust me… You are going to need it." They sat down on a chair by a small coffee table. Pamela went into another room, and then returned with a large, old looking book in her hands. Upon sitting down beside them, she took a deep breath and laid the book down on the table. "I've got a lot of things that need to be said," she began, "And, I guess I first must start out with your names." "I think we already know our names pretty well," Luke joked, but Pamela was being serious. "My name is not Pamela. I am Impa. Alice, you are Zelda. And Luke, your name is Link." The two looked at her with a blank expression. Biting her lip, Impa continued.  
"Long ago, in another world and another time, there were three goddesses. They were named Din, Nayru, and Farore. Nayru created the sky. Din created deserts. And Farore created the grass and soil. All three merged together to create the Golden Power, the Triforce. Then, the people of the kingdom of Hyrule created the Temple of Time to protect the Triforce so the scoundrels of the world could not possess it. Each part of the Triforce was a goddess, and they each symbolized an entity. Din was the goddess of power. Nayru was the goddess of wisdom. And Farore was the goddess of courage.  
"Many thousand years later, a rogue named Ganondorf was born to Gerudo Valley. In this particular place, only one man is born per one-hundred years. This man meant trouble for not only Hyrule, but for the rest of the world as well. He dreamed of possessing not only the world, but the Triforce itself. With it, he would be able to have ultimate control over anything and everything. "This is where you two get into the picture. Alice, my dear Princess Zelda, you were only a child when Ganondorf tried to convince the royalty of Hyrule of how wonderful he was. He thought his charms would get him on Hyrule's good side. Luke, the great hero Link, you were Zelda's age. Your mission was to stop him from taking over our kingdom and seizing the Triforce. You were also the Hero of Time, since you were able to pull out the Master Sword, the legendary blade that will cast out evil only if pulled out by you alone. This special sword was located in the Temple of Time, but the only way to get to it was by obtaining the Kokiri Emerald, Goron's Ruby, And Zora's Sapphire, and placing them on the altar. When you did, the Door of Time opened and there was the Master Sword. And by pulling it out, you were able to travel forward in time to when you were seventeen, when Ganondorf had already taken over Hyrule. However, by placing the sword back in the Temple of Time, you were also able to go back to when you were a child as well. You had to stop Ganondorf in the future so both future and past could be saved.  
"However, you weren't able to do a thing until you acquired the six medallions from the six sages, which I was among one of them. Zelda, you are the seventh sage that would watch over the Triforce itself! Helping you at various parts of your journey, Link, was a mysterious man named Sheik of the people known as the Skeikahs. Though, after you were able to get hold of those six medallions, you found out some very surprising news about your friend Sheik. He was actually you, Alice: Princess Zelda disguised as him. After she revealed herself to you, Link, Ganondorf captured her inside a crystal and toke her back to his castle, knowing very well that you were sure to follow him. Upon arriving there, the six sages opened the seal to his castle for you, and after you entered, you went into six different doors that released the sages. Once they were finally free, the final barrier that led to Ganondorf was opened.  
"It is then when you found out some other incredible news. Yours, Zelda's, and Ganondorf's hands each glowed a piece of the Triforce. Zelda, you have wisdom. Link, you have courage, and Ganondorf has power. You began a deadly battle, and barely make it as you finished him off. A large explosion took place, and the castle began to collapse. Led by Zelda, the two of you made it just on time as the castle became completely destroyed. But, your troubles didn't cease there. Ganondorf used the last of his power to become Ganon, being even deadlier than before. As Zelda held him down, you gave him one final blow with your powerful Master Sword to seal Ganon away in the Evil Realm by me and the other five sages. It was then when he promised his revenge one day, cursing us all. Though, things could not remain the way they were. Zelda played the song of her lullaby on her ocarina to make things back to normal once again. Sadly, she announced the two of you would have to say a final goodbye to each other. Link, you placed the sword back in the Temple of Time and the doorway closed. With you on your journey, you had a fairy named Navi, whom you released after this predicament, when you were back to being a child and time was going about the way it should have been.  
"As the years went by, you, Link, were on all kinds of adventures. Zelda, you stayed at the castle. I always knew that you wanted so much more than that. To be free to roam all around and about. Not being able to accept the fact that he would never see you again, Link came to visit you occasionally in his early teenaged years, and the visits became more frequent as the years went by. It wasn't long after until the two of you had fallen in love and formed a secret relationship. Yes, it was odd. But, perhaps you were destined to be. Every night, Zelda, you would sneak out of the castle and go see your beloved in the market place. He taught you all these terrible things, like how to pass the guards and even how to fight! And then…it happened. You were impregnated." Astonished at the climax of her story, the two stood up. "What!" they proclaimed in unison. Impa smiled at them. "Let me finish," she told them, "Now, as I was saying, you were impregnated with the child of the man you loved.  
"When I found out about this all, I'll admit, I was infuriated at first. Especially since you decided to tell me at the night of the Royal Hylian Ball, where I had designed it for you to meet a prince and fall in love so you may finally become queen of Hyrule. Link had become your fiancé. That night, you met a man named Gain, who claimed that he was a politician of Gerudo Valley. Right away, you caught on to him. I didn't believe you at first, when you insisted that he was the scoundrel Ganondorf, since he looked nothing like him. We all had to find out the hard way when he revealed himself at the end of the night and took over our castle.  
"I was afraid. I didn't know what to do. Then, an idea came to mind. I remembered the bottles of magic I kept in my chambers. I knew that if we were to stay, we would have surely been doomed. I needed more time. I had a certain magic potion that caused that time period to freeze for exactly eighteen years as we would be sent to another world in another time. However, the side effects were that the ones who were under twenty would be born again. When I opened the bottle, I found myself by the tree I had shown you yesterday, Zelda. I saw the both of you in my arms, only little babies. I had no idea of what to do with you. So, I stuck with my first instincts, which was to put you in front of a house and leave you there. This was the first day of February.  
"Now, the eighteenth anniversary is approaching, and the portal is beginning to open again. This Friday, time in Hyrule will unfreeze and the portal will be completely opened. However, if you miss your chance to enter, you will be stuck here for the rest of your lives and Hyrule will be ill-fated." Luke spoke up, "Why should it matter to us now?" she asked, "We're here and Hyrule is somewhere else. Why can't we just start over here?" Impa shook her head. "If you miss your chance to leave when you were supposed to, all memory of you on this planet will be erased. Your family won't remember you. Your friends will not recognize you, and you will basically be nothing. This Friday, everything will change." Alice was about ready to burst into tears. Just the thought of leaving behind her mother and Lila was killing her inside. And, the idea of have an affair and making a baby with Luke was WAY too much for her to handle. But, there was something else that was making her die with curiosity. "If I'm pregnant," she began, "…then where's my baby?" Impa grinned. "I was hoping you were going to ask that," she said, "I'll be right back." Getting up, Impa left the room, leaving Alice, Princess Zelda, and Luke, Link: the Hero of Time, alone with each other.  
"Do you believe her?" Luke asked. Alice nodded, "Yes. But it doesn't mean I'm too thrilled about it." Luke's reply was, "I think it's all too crazy to be true. But, after what I saw today, I'll believe anything." It was then when Impa came back with a small object in her hand. "This…" she began slowly, "is the child of Link and Zelda." She opened her hand and revealed a red gem. "Obviously, when you were born again, you couldn't be pregnant. But, that didn't mean that the baby was dead, either. The soul of your child lies in this gem." With wide eyes, Alice looked at the gem that lied on her aunt's hand. "As I was studying this for the last eighteen years, I came upon another legend that surprised me as well," she stated. She went to her book and opened it to a designated page. She began reading. "The heart of the Hero of Time with the heart of his beloved, when combined as one, will lead to many generations of heroes and heroines. The child with the heart of pure ruby red's glow and of six sides and angles, no more no less, will be the child who will age to become the next Hero of Time and follow in their parent's footsteps. This child will lead the world to many years of peace and tranquility." She looked up from the book and grinned. "Take a look at this ruby! This is the heart of your child! 'Pure ruby's red glow and of six sides and angles.' Zelda, this child that you will give birth to will be the next Hero of Time!" she proclaimed, excited. Alice, on the other hand, was terrified of the idea. "I can't have a baby," she protested, "Especially if it's Luke's baby. I'm not ready." "How in the world did we fall in love?" Luke asked, "We don't even like each other." Impa frowned at his last statement. "You mean…Your love hasn't brought you together?" They just stood there, not saying a word. Impa bit her lower lip. "This isn't good," she said, "You two were destined to be." "If you mean antagonists, then, yes, we were destined to be," Alice added. Impa shook her head at the two. "Well, you have no choice," she ordered, "You must go back this Friday. And I have a plan for you to follow." She began:  
"There is a place just a bit off of Hyrule called the Lon Lon Ranch, where we get our milk from. The owner of the ranch is named Talon. He lives there with his worker, Ingo, and his lovely daughter, Malon, who is about your age. I want the two of you to ask them if you could stay at their ranch as a means of shelter, since Ganondorf has taken over Hyrule. I'm sure they won't mind at all.  
"Also, Ganondorf has probably sealed his castle off to everyone outside of him. But, there is always something that will open it up again. I'm positive the six sages won't be much help to you this time, but I think I know who might. There are three Great Fairies hidden in Lake Hylia, Death Mountain, and Gerudo Valley. Each one will give you a crystal. When used as one, they create an immense power of light that will allow the barrier to his castle to break open. "You will as well be able to go to the Temple of Time in Hyrule and take the Master Sword again, Link, since Ganondorf has escaped and the doorway is once again opened. Nothing else but the Master Sword will help you defeat him again. You must pull it out." "Where are we supposed to know where all these places are?" Luke asked her. Impa reached into her book and pulled out an old piece of paper. "I have a map for you right here." Alice kept a firm look at Impa before she asked her question. "Are you…coming with us?" With a sad sigh, she answered, "I can't, sweetheart. Since I wasn't reborn like the rest of you, it means I have grown old. It would mess up time. I must stay and die here." Alice hugged Impa as tears filled her eyes. Luke, on the other hand, was upset as well, even though he wasn't as affectionate as Alice. "So, we're on our own?" he asked.  
"I'm afraid so." But, that answer wasn't enough for him. "How are we supposed to know what to do?" he asked her. "I have just enough magic left in me to regain some of your memory," she explained, "But, 'tis only memory that will be regained to you. Not feelings, emotions, or love. You will feel the same about everything as you do now. On Friday, I will use the last on my magic over you, then, I will place the infant back in Zelda's body." Impa gave Zelda a stern look. "Zelda, you must be careful. You must remember that you will be carrying the next Hero of Time. You cannot lose this child!" Timorously, Alice nodded. "The beginning of Friday morning, twelve A.M. is when the portal opens for the last time. Do NOT go to class. You will not be remembered. I'll expect you to meet me by the sacred tree thirty minutes before midnight. Am I clear?" Impa finished, and Luke and Alice nodded hastily. "Alright, then I will be taking you home now."

The next night, Alice looked into her mirror. Me? She thought, A princess? For some reason, she loved the idea. Too bad she couldn't say the same for her fiancé, Link. She laughed when she remembered what Impa had called him: The Hero of Time. "How retarded is that!" she laughed. Alice knew that she only had one more night after this of living normally. Then her whole life would change. I wonder how that world is like, she thought. She was scared, confused, and excited all at the same time. She didn't know what was to come from this. Then, she thought about her baby and the large impact it would have later on. I never knew I was so important, she thought, I can't believe that this is all up to ME…and Link, of course. She felt weird saying that name: Link. She had grown up calling him Luke all her life that suddenly identifying him in a different name felt very odd to her. And her… Princess Zelda of Hyrule? Wow. She spent the night playing her piano again. Alice played for hours and hours until she went to bed. The whole day had gone by so quickly, and after tonight, she had until twelve midnight. Then, she won't exist in this world or have a family here. Then, she would regain her memory of her real self. Not as Alice Elms, but as Princess Zelda of Hyrule. She jumped into bed and closed her eyes, dreaming her last dream here on Earth.

Luke had trouble facing the truth as well. Well, goodbye clothes, he thought, I'll miss you. Oh, Gucci watch. We were so close! How in the world was he supposed to survive in that world? How could he be the so called Hero of Time? Of course, it was also very like Luke to be cynical about everything. But, it was hard being optimistic about this, since it would change the circumstances of his whole life. Gosh, why did his life have to fly by so fast? How did he become almost eighteen? It felt as if every time he blinked he grew a year older. Well, maybe not that fast. But, at times, it did feel like it. Now, he was going to go on a journey like no other. It all had to be true, right? He and Alice did stick their hands through that tree, didn't they? It felt too real to have been his imagination. Luke took a deep breath as he took off his shirt and turned his light off.  
He repeated his title throughout the night in his head: Link the Hero of Time… Link the Hero of Time… Link the Hero of Time…

It was the last day of high school. Well, for Luke and Alice, anyway. Luke absolutely loved the idea of no school as it worried Alice greatly. Then, it would also be the last night of television, cheeseburgers, and everything else that they would never see again. A whole different life would arise for the both of them, and everything will change.  
Alice sighed as she was about to go to calculus. Great…This is the class I have with my lover…Ughh… she thought, scrunching up her face. She waited for Luke by the door, to at least see how he was doing. What she didn't know was that Mr. Collins was keeping a close eye on her. When she saw Luke approach, she tried to smile, but failed. Luke just gave her a funny look. "What's wrong? You look like you swallowed a hot pepper." "Excuse me?" Luke opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted when Mr. Collins went to them. "Welcome to class, the both of you," he said, then grabbed the hat Luke wore on his head, "and no hats, Mr. Archer. How many times are we going to go over this?" Then, he gently shoved them into his classroom. Then, there came the last lunch.  
Afterwards, the last French class.  
Then, it was finally time to go home…for the last time, of course.

They tried going to bed early that night, since they would have to wake up again at eleven: thirty. Though, Alice couldn't sleep. Luke couldn't either. So much was about to happen in the next few hours that they couldn't find it in them to just fall asleep, since the feeling of agitation was taking over them. However, their methods for staying awake were quite similar. Alice drank caffeinated tea with honey as Luke guzzled down diet soda. It seemed to take forever before eleven: thirty arrived. By then, they were ready for the major conversion that was to take place. Luke snuck out of his window as Alice felt free to leave through the front door. Providentially, she wasn't caught. By the time the two made it to the designated area, it was fifteen till midnight and Impa was already waiting for them. She smiled when she saw them arrive. "I'm so proud of you," she announced softly, "…Here." Then, she placed one hand on Alice's head and her other on Luke's. "I think this belongs to you." There was a bright pink glow and a magical sensation took over them. They felt as if they were taken off their feet and walking on clouds.  
Hyrule. The Triforce. Ganondorf. The Castle. Memories began flowing into their minds as they began to recall their past events. A moment later, Impa released her hands from them. Luke and Alice opened their blue eyes, now shimmering. They looked at Impa, then at one another. Interrupting the awkward silence, Alice spoke up. "Where's…my baby?" she carefully asked. Impa then pulled out the red gemstone. "Be vigilant and wary, Princess," she warned, "…please." Slowly, she placed the gem on the young woman's stomach, and it vanished inside her with a crimson glow. Alice placed her hands on her stomach, knowing that her child was returned to her, now back in her body.  
Now, Impa turned and faced the tree. "I can sense it; the portal is about to open," she said to them. She turned and faced Link, handing him the map. "Remember, you must take the Master Sword. Collect as many items and weapons as you can. The three Great Fairies you will find will help you as well." Then, she turned to Princess Zelda and gave her the ancient Book of Hylian Legends, Myths, and Secrets. "Zelda…my dear niece, please be mindful. You are one another's temple. A part of each of you lies in each other. Work together, for, no one can do this all on their own." A tear slid down Zelda's face. Now that she remembered her aunt, she couldn't stand the thought of leaving her forever. "I hope you can take my role as one of the Six Sages," Impa added, then hugged her. After the fact, she shook Link's hand. "Treat my niece well," she ordered. It was then when a sound erupted from the tall tree behind them. They all turned around and saw the aperture between the two worlds and times begin to spread open for the very last time.  
"It's time for your departure." Then, Link looked at Zelda, and she looked at him. "Are you ready, Princess?" he asked her. Biting her lip, she nodded. Then, at the same time, they jumped in, and the portal closed a moment later. Impa could only stare at the tree with tears rolling down her cheeks. "Please, let them find each other again," she prayed softly, "…the forces of wisdom and courage against power will overthrow Ganondorf. But their love is the only thing that will bring those forces together…" If they ever find it again…

The Temple of Time, Hyrule Part Two:  
The Arrival

When Link opened his eyes, he recognized the building he was in. He could remember the stained-glass windows and the marble floor. Link knew where he had returned to: The Sacred Temple of Time. He turned his head and saw that he was leaning against the altar. Then, he looked at himself. On his arms were his brown gauntlets, and on his feet were russet colored boots. His legs were covered with white tights and he wore a grassy green tunic that went down to his mid-thigh area. Then, he felt his ears, which were once again long and sharper. And on his blond hair was a long, green hat. Link then looked down at his lap, and saw Princess Zelda resting her head there, whom was still asleep. He didn't know whether to smile or shove her off of him. But, he could not deny how beautiful she looked then and there. Her blond hair shimmered in the light, and her face seemed so soft and supple, with her cheeks blushing red. She wore a long, silk dress of pink and white and high heeled pink shoes on her feet. Zelda's earrings resembled the Triforce, and her delicate, petite arms were covered with white, silken gloves. On her forehead was a golden tiara with a pink gem in the middle. Her ears were equivalent to Link's, lengthy and pointed. Altogether, the princess was a beautiful work of art.  
Knowing that he shouldn't stay sitting there until Zelda awoke, he gently moved her head off of him and onto the floor as he stood up. After a stretch, Link looked around the temple. It was just the way he remembered it to be. Then, he recalled what Impa had told him before he left…The Master Sword. Looking past the altar, he noticed that the Door of Time was still opened from Ganondorf's escape. He knew that the Master Sword was in there. Slowly, he walked through.  
There it was: The sacrosanct sword that only the Hero of Time could pull out. As he walked towards it, he gulped. Before trying to pull it out, Link stared at it for a little while, evoking all the times he had used the weapon before. Then, with a look of solemnity in his face, he stepped onto the stone and pulled the Master Sword out. Though, this time, nothing happened. He was still eighteen. He was still in the Temple of Time. And the world was still in trouble.  
"It's about time." Link jumped back, but then turned around and saw Princess Zelda staring at him with a smirk on her face. "We've got a long way to go from here," Link said as he began walking towards her. When he finally reached her, they only looked at each other blankly. They didn't know how to act towards each other now. Things were different. They weren't in high school anymore. They were supposed to be in love, but didn't know if that was the way things were heading off to now.  
Clearing her throat, Zelda disrupted the uncomfortable silence. "We need to get out of here," he said, "and go to the Lon Lon Ranch. I've never been there before…but you have." Link nodded. Then, with him leading the way, they stepped out of the Temple. It was dark, gloomy, and downright creepy looking. "He completely destroyed my kingdom!" Zelda exclaimed when she saw Hyrule. They walked further, and found out there were worse things than that. Zelda was about to scream, but then Link covered her mouth tightly. "Don't say a word," he whispered, "or else we'll totally be screwed." For, there they were: the undead. Ganondorf had placed them once again in Hyrule's market place for those who decided they would like to 'visit' the new and improved kingdom. Taking Zelda's hand, Link began to walk slowly away from them. She was scared out of her mind at the mere sight of them. However, as they were walking, Zelda's shoe had fallen off.  
"Link!" she tried to whisper, but it ended up coming out of her mouth more loudly than she expected. He turned around and gave her a stern look. "My shoe! Go get it!" she exclaimed, pointing to it from a distance. He wrinkled his nose. "Why do I have to?" he asked.  
"Because I'm carrying your child." Knowing that she was right, he sighed as he slowly went back and pulled the heel of her shoe out from the crack. As he stood up, he exhaled a breath of relief. That was close, he thought.  
Well… Maybe not.  
It was at that moment when one of the undead opened their eyes. Link gasped as one grabbed him and began to suck on his energy. Zelda screamed. "LINK!" she called out, but realized it wasn't a good idea when the rest of them opened their eyes and went after the young man who was being attacked. Oops…she thought, then ran out into Hyrule Field where it was safe, hoping that he would get out of this predicament on his own.  
Now, almost a dozen of the undead were around him, trying to suck on his energy. Luckily, he was able to kick the first one off of him, then took out the Master Sword and started to aimlessly stab, slice, and pierce all that was surrounding him. Finally, it was over. They lied on the ground, merely twitching. With his heart beating one-thousand beats per minute, he followed Zelda out into Hyrule Field, where the sun had just risen. There, he found the princess picking at grass on the ground. When she looked up and saw him, she jumped up and beamed. "You're alive!" she proclaimed, rushing to him. Though, he did not smile back at her. "Thanks for ditching me," was his response.  
"I was scared." He decided to stop talking about this any further. Link figured that 'women are women.' They were in the middle of Hyrule Field, and now they had to find the Lon Lon Ranch for a place of shelter. Zelda grabbed the map from Link and unfolded it. "So…if we are here, and the ranch is there…" she observed, but became confused. "This doesn't make sense." Link took the map back from Zelda's clutches. "It's right over there," he said, pointing to the ranch, which was only around two dozen meters ahead of them.  
"I never said I was good at reading maps," Zelda covered up for herself.  
"I can see that." Then, they began to walk again. "What are we supposed to tell them?" the princess asked. Link hesitated to answer her. "Um…" he began, "…that Ganondorf has taken over the castle and we need a place to stay." Zelda shook her head at him. "That's stupid," she protested, "We can't just ask people for favors." "Do you have any other ideas, Miss Perfect?" "…No…But we could at least offer something in return." Now he was getting annoyed with her. "Like what?" he replied, "The rupees that we don't have with us?" Zelda frowned, knowing he was right. "Fine. But you're the one who asks," she gave in. Link, however, ignored her. It seemed to take forever walking over to the ranch, even though it wasn't that far away. It's probably because Miss Royal Highness here is taking her time walking like a dead turtle, Link thought. If they would have been running, they'd be there by now, and they still had some distance of a walk to complete before they were at the ranch.  
Then, and idea hit Link's head. He knew how much Zelda liked to compete with him when she was little innocent Alice in high school. He was desperate to get there, and he knew Zelda wouldn't walk any faster unless he made it into a competition. Out of the blue, he said, "Race you there." Suddenly, he stormed off, leaving her alone. Zelda scrunched her face, trying not to smile. "Hey!" she called out as she ran after him.  
Before they knew it, they had made it at the Lon Lon Ranch. Yet, they were out of breath when they arrived there. Zelda looked around with curiosity as Link looked for the owner of the ranch, Talon. "Now what?" the princess asked, "…it smells here." Link gave her a weird look. "They raise livestock, genius. How do you think they delivered your milk?" "Link!" The quarreling pair turned around and saw a young woman approaching them. Her hair was a glistening auburn and her eyes shimmered an ocean blue. She wore a plain white and pale pink dress with a brown apron and brown boots. Link recognized her in a heartbeat. It was Talon's beautiful daughter, Malon. "I heard what happened!" the young woman proclaimed, taking his hand and standing a little too close to Link. For some reason, this made Zelda want to pull Malon's hair out from her roots. "Ganondorf's back, isn't he?" she finished. No kidding, Zelda thought, thinking the maiden to be rather dull in the mind area. However, Link didn't mind her at all.  
"Yes," he answered, "and he's taken over the castle…again. The princess and I need a place to stay." Surprised, Malon looked behind Link and saw Princess Zelda standing there. She gasped, bowled over at the sight of the princess here, at her father's ranch. "Greetings, Princess Zelda!" she welcomed, curtsying, "I'll go find my father." The farm girl ran off, and Link smiled as he watched her go. Seeing the look on his face, Zelda smacked the back of his head. "Quit acting like such a gigolo!" she yelled at him. "Quit being so jealous," he replied with a sly smirk.  
Soon enough, Malon came back with her chubby father, Talon. He had dark brown hair that was the same colors as his beard and thick eyebrows. Adjusting his blue overalls, he smiled at Link and the princess. "I hear you need a place to stay," he affirmed, "and I would be honored if you resided here for the time being." Link and Zelda smiled, relieved. "I especially can't believe that our very own princess of Hyrule will be staying with us!" Talon added, causing Zelda to blush red. "We thank you so very much," she said. "I'm so happy you'll be staying with us, Link," Malon told him, giving him a flirtatious smile. Link couldn't help but blush. "I have something to show you," she finished, and then grabbed Link's hand, taking him to the stable and leaving Zelda by her lonesome. Malon then showed Link something very familiar to him. "It's Epona!" Link cried out when he saw the horse Malon had given to him. "She came here when she couldn't find you," Malon explained, "It made me worried…I thought something happened to you." Malon looked into his eyes deeply, and then smiled softly. "Well…here I am," Link reassured her as he petted the elegant horse. Sighing, Malon looked away. Can't he take a hint? she thought, inadvertently tapping her foot. From the corner of her eye, she could see Princess Zelda conversing with Ingo, her father's longtime employee. Malon frowned at the sight of the stunning woman of regal descent. She better think twice before trying to have Link all for herself, ran through her mind. "So…what's been going on between you and the princess?" Malon decided to ask him. Link hesitated to answer, since he really didn't know what was to happen between them now. "Um…nothing," he replied. But, that wasn't enough of an answer for her. "You're just a knight in shining armor to her rescue, huh?" she said with a laugh, "Is that why you're here with her?" Not knowing what to say, he only nodded. Link turned and gazed at the blond princess, not realizing he was smiling when he looked at her.  
"She's so beautiful, isn't she?" Malon said, knowing it was true. Coming back from his daze, Link turned to Malon and shrugged his shoulders. "She's okay, I guess," he stated. Malon smiled broadly at him. "Epona missed you," she began, changing the subject. "She came back here last night. I guess that's when everything went berserk back at the castle, huh?" "You wouldn't even believe it." Malon bit her lips. "Is it that bad?" she asked. "He's taken over most of Hyrule. It's like a cemetery over in the market place," he explained, "So…yeah, it's pretty bad." Malon frowned. "That's not good. Are you going to stop him?" Malon asked him. His reply was simple. "If I can." That night, Malon showed Zelda where she would be sleeping. "I have a few dresses for you, Princess," she told her, laying a few outfits on the bed, "They aren't exactly of the finest materials, but they are comfortable. It must feel pretty sore wearing those tight, itchy dresses all the time." Malon laughed at herself as Zelda smiled. "Thank you," she told the maiden. Malon couldn't help but stare at Zelda. "Goodness, you are so lovely. You are like a rose," she commented, causing Zelda to blush a deep, crimson red. "Don't be silly," she told her, "You are not any less pretty than I am." Malon looked down. After a moment of silence, Zelda could tell that something was wrong.  
"Are you upset?" she asked Malon. Looking at the princess, she told her, "I'm sure that you could have anyone you want. Me? I can't get even a simple fellow to notice me. I've known him since I was a child, so I'm sure all he'll ever see me as is only a friend." Zelda thought about it for a moment, and then came up with an idea. "How do you act when you're around him?" she asked. "Like a lady, the way my father raised me to be, of course," she answered.  
Princess Zelda smiled at her idea. "Tell him how you feel, but not just with words," she explained, "Act like a total vixen, make him wish that he had you. It may not be who you are, but it will most definitely be fun and you may get the response that you'd been looking for." Malon smiled at the suggestion. "Do you truly think that would work?" she asked, and Zelda nodded with confidence. "Of course!" she ensured the young lady, "You have the looks; all you need is some attitude." Anxiously, Malon turned to leave. "Thank you, my lady!" she yelled with contentment, "Thank you so much!" Afterwards, she felt the room, leaving Zelda feeling very proud of herself. I am such a good person, she thought arrogantly, with a smug smile forming on her lips.  
Of course they make me have to sleep with the chickens.  
Link's form of shelter was the paddock where they kept most of their chickens, which were running free, out and about. Talon promised that they slept peacefully throughout the night and guaranteed that there wouldn't be any 'surprises' in the morning. Link would have to sleep on the floor with a thin blanket for warmth. Nice.  
Those bothersome chickens were everywhere, clucking and running as if they were being murdered. There were feathers flying all over the room. "This really sucks," he said to himself, sitting down and leaning his head against the wall. A chicken came and sat down next to him. Link looked at it and sighed. "I guess this means we're friends now," he said to the clueless bird, "I'll name you…Chester." For some reason, he went to pet it, but he ended up making Chester mad and the chicken bit his hand. "Ow!" he proclaimed, and then pushed it away. "You've just lost yourself a friend, you good for nothing bird!" Then, there was a knock at the door.  
With a sigh, Link answered bleakly, "Come in." The door opened and a pleased looking Malon came in. Smiling, Link stood up. Looking around the chicken infested room, Malon giggled. "Are you having a fun time with my little friends?" she asked. "Oh yes, I love animals," Link joked, "So…is there anything you needed to ask me?" "Actually…there is a little something I wanted to…discuss with you." With saying that, she closed the door and took her key and locked it. Link started to become nervous as Malon slowly made her way towards him. "Um…so, what's on your mind, Malon?" he asked tensely. Never until that moment had he ever felt so timid. Unfortunately, her answer wasn't what he hoped it would be. "You are." Link didn't know if Malon was only kidding around or if she was about to kill him. When she finally reached him, she pushed Link to the ground, causing him to land on his bottom and the chickens to run frantically through the room. She bent down and crawled towards his body. "Ever since that day I met you when I was ten years old…Gosh, have I wanted you SOOO bad!" Link's eyes widened as Malon pinned him to the floor, now on top of him. Her face was only a few inches away from his.  
"We're adults now, aren't we, Link?" she whispered, "We can do bad things now, can't we?" Link was not enjoying this as much as he'd thought he would. "Malon, have you been drinking?" he asked her, even though he couldn't smell anything on her breath. "No," she replied, "I am just doing something I should have done a long time ago." She went to kiss him, but Link pushed her away. "Malon, you're acting inane," Link told her, trying to get up. However, she pushed him back down even harder.  
"Let's make love here, now!" she announced.  
"What! Malon, we're in a room full of chickens!" "So? They can do it too if they want!" She was about to take off her dress when Link was finally able to get up and to the door. He turned and banged at the handle, but it wouldn't budge. "Why are you running away from me?" she cried out angrily as she stood and marched towards him, "Why are you rejecting me!" However, he ignored her outburst and continued shaking the doorknob. "Link!" she continued calling him. When he didn't answer her she grabbed Link and turned him around. "Is it because of her? Princess Zelda? Do you love her? Because she's the one who told me to do this, you know!" Now arose more news that surprised Link. How many times could a guy get bowled over in a single day? "Princess Zelda told you to do this?" he repeated, unable to fully believe what Malon had told him. "She said it would work!" she continued, "She said you would like it!" Then, she finished with a cry. "SHE SAID I WOULD LIKE IT BUT I DIDN'T!" Malon then buried her face in her hands and began to sob. With a sigh, Link gave her a friendly hug. "Don't cry," he said, "I guess Zelda got over excited because it was her first girl talk with someone who isn't twenty years older then her." Malon looked up at him and frowned.  
"But now you think I'm crazy," she said, and then started to bawl again, "YOU THINK I'M AN IDIOT!" I can't believe this, Link thought as she tried to calm the girl who was crying hysterically on his shoulder, When did Malon become such a mental case? Not being completely honest with her, he said, "I don't think you're crazy." "YES YOU DO!" This was unbelievable.  
"Malon, I don't! Now shut up and give me the freaking key!" Link yelled, not caring if it wasn't exactly the nicest thing to say. But, it miraculously worked. The girl immediately stopped crying. And, with a sniffle, gave him the key. Satisfied, he opened the door. "I'll go now," Malon said, "But, PLEASE don't tell my father! Oh, Link, I'm so sorry!" "Okay, okay. I forgive you," Link told her, hoping it would give her the inspiration to leave. Finally, she ran off. Now, he needed to have a little word with Princess Zelda… He left the room and looked for Zelda. When he found her cozy little legroom, he knocked on her door, but opened it anyway before she had a chance to respond. The princess sat on her bed and looked up when Link entered. She smiled at him, but it disappeared when she saw that Link didn't smile back at her. "What's up your bum?" she asked him. Now smiling, he answered her in a familiar way.  
"You are." Then, he closed her door and pin-locked it. Out of confusion, Zelda raised a perfectly plucked eye brow. "Excuse me?" she asked. She rose and walked toward him. Then he pushed her back on her bed and pinned her down. Shocked and angry, Zelda yelled at him. "Link, you jerk, I'M PREGNANT!" she exclaimed, "What the hell are you doing!" "Something I should have done a long time ago," he said. Zelda could now feel his breath on her face. "Ever since that day I met you eight years ago…I've wanted you SOOO bad!" With that, an enormous grin spread on his face as he began to shake the bed. In the midst of him bouncing, he yelled out, "Let's make love here, RIGHT NOW!" As fuming as could be, she finally managed to kick him off of her. Link landed hard on the floor. Now, he was laughing his head off. Actually, he was laughing so hard that his stomach began to hurt and he almost couldn't breathe anymore. Infuriated, Zelda could not believe what was happening.  
"You sex-crazed freak!" she yelled, "What the heck is WRONG with you!" Finally, Link was able to control himself and stop laughing. "Oh, I'm just repeating the exact same thing that happened with me and MALON just a while ago!" he answered sternly. Zelda scowled at him. "You did that to Malon too, you pig!" she said, and Link shook his head at her.  
"It was the whole other way around, princess." Zelda widened her eyes. "What…? Why would she do that?" she asked. Link was surprised why she'd pretend that she didn't know why. "Well, Malon had said that you told her to act like a total sex fanatic!" Link said. Zelda was about to argue back, but then closed her mouth when she remembered the little talk she had with Malon earlier.  
"Oh no…" she said to herself quietly.  
"I can't believe you would tell her something like that!" Link yelled.  
"Well, I didn't think she was talking about you!" Zelda explained, "She wanted some advice and I said that she should be a little more enticing, that's all. I didn't think she would take it that far." Then, her eyes widened, "Did she…" "No, NOTHING happened!" Zelda laughed, "I wish I was there to see it." "Why am I not surprised?" Princess Zelda couldn't help but smile at him. The sight of Link on the floor with messed up blond hair was rather hilarious, especially with the look he had on his face. Is this the same man I absolutely couldn't stand in high school? She wondered as she looked at the more mature Link. For one thing, he doesn't seem so materialistic. Without realizing it, she had been staring at him for quite a while.  
"What are you looking at?" he finally asked her. Shaking her head as she came back into reality, she answered, "Nothing." Link smiled at her, and then at last stood. "Well, I better go," he told her, "Goodnight, Princess." "Goodnight." Then, he unlocked her door and left her alone. Zelda sighed as she recalled the strange events that had taken place over the last couple of minutes. She couldn't help but laugh of the irony of it all. When Link had entered her room and jumped on top of her like that, she thought he had gone mad. And, it all led to the fact that the 'simple' man Malon had fancied was Link! Knowing that seemed to make her right eye twitch and nostrils flare. But, why was this making her so jealous? Yes, Link was the father of her child, boyfriend, fiancé, and future king of Hyrule–but, things were different now. She knew him as a different person. Could she possibly fall in love with him all over again? She didn't want to think about this now. She was way too tired. Zelda glanced over at the clothes Malon brought for her to wear. Looking through them she found a comfortable dress she could wear to bed. It took her a while to take off her gown and everything, since she wore so many things. After that, she changed into the dress and looked down at herself. This makes me look fat, she thought, places her hands on her hips, to her thighs, and finally her stomach. However, being only about a month into her pregnancy, she hadn't gained too much weight yet. Finally, she blew out her candle and went to sleep.  
The following morning, Link woke up when the chickens stirred. It wasn't very pleasant, since one of them bit his ear trying to get him up. A part of him wanted to kick them so bad that it was just screaming inside of him. Then, there was the other part–the benevolent and considerate part–that wouldn't let him. Grunting, he got up and left the room. He went outside to see Talon and Ingo feeding the horses at the stable. Talon waved at him. "Good morning, Link!" he called out, "How did you sleep?" Link made a face that was more than words could say. "Oh, great," he replied sarcastically. Then, he caught a glimpse of Malon, who was carrying a bucket of water over to the horses. When she saw Link, she stopped suddenly, and the bucket fell to the ground and splattered. "Malon!" Talon cried out. Gasping at what she'd done, she apologized. "Oh no! I'm so sorry, father!" she yelled. Link waited for her to start crying, but, shockingly, she didn't this time. It was at that moment when Zelda walked out of her room. When Link looked over at her, he smiled. The princess still looked elegant even in Malon's working dress. She walked up to Link, but did not greet him. "What are we doing today?" she asked him. He shrugged. "I guess I'll go look for the Great Fairy at Lake Hylia and get that crystal, like Impa told us. Or, I'll try to find some rupees so I'll be able to get some weapons," he answered, and then raised an eyebrow when he saw the look of slyness that was written all over Zelda's face, "…Why?" She smiled, thankful he had asked her that. "Because I want to do…something normal today," she answered. Link laughed. "Normal?" he repeated, and she nodded back. "What would you consider normal, princess?" "I don't know. That's why I'm asking you." "And I'm normal, huh?" Now, Zelda was the one to laugh. "Yes!" she told him, "Please! I may never have this opportunity ever again." Link leered. "I guess that okay," he answered, even though he really didn't have a place in mind. Hearing their conversation as he walked by with hay, Ingo interrupted them. "I heard they closed down the potion shop in Kakariko Village and turned it into a bar," he said. Zelda huffed, "A bar? How terrible! What a waste of a building! Why–" "It sounds perfect." Zelda could not believe the words that came out of Link's mouth. "Glad to be of help," the cheerful worker said as he headed off. Once he was fully gone, Zelda smacked Link upside the head. "What are you thinking?" she asked him, quite upset, "You know I can't drink, and you also know why!" Then, she indicated her stomach. However, he rolled his eyes at her.  
"So…you could have water, or milk," he replied. But, that wasn't enough to satisfy Zelda. "And how do you suppose we pay for this, huh?" she asked, tapping her foot. Suddenly, an idea came over Link's mind. Telling her to stay there, he ran off.  
"Hey, Malon!" The young farm girl looked away from tending her horse and directly at Link, who then approached her. She blushed when she saw him, still embarrassed from the previous night when lust and desire had taken over her mind and body. "…Yes?" she answered coyly, not completely looking at his face. Then, Link smiled. "You still think I'm angry at you, right?" Malon nodded.  
"Well, I think I know a way that you could make it up to me." Her eyes widened with curiosity. Link knew his idea wasn't the nicest in the world, but it would probably be able to work. So, he wasn't surprised when Malon agreed to accompany them to the Kakariko Bar and pay for their drinks.  
When Link came back, Zelda asked him what had happened. "I found us free drinks," was all he said, and the princess decided not to ask any more questions, since she was perplexed enough as it was. That night, Zelda's question was answered. When Link and she climbed onto Epona and saw Malon and another horse beside them, she received her response. That trollop wasn't supposed to tag along! She thought, and then was rather surprised at the thought that had popped into her head. Was she actually jealous of Malon? That Link might like her instead of herself, the Princess of Hyrule who carried his child, whom was supposed to bring tranquility to the world for many years to come!  
Nonsense. Zelda decided to stop thinking about it, since it was driving her to lunacy. "We must be careful out in Hyrule Fields," Malon warned them, "If you do recall, there are many dangers out there during nightfall." Knowing this made Zelda tremor. Why must we leave so late? she thought, Why didn't we go during the afternoon? What makes drinking late more enjoyable than drinking early? Then, she shook her head and sighed. It's not like I'll be drinking, anyway. These two dullards, on the other hand, will probably get drunk out of their minds. She looked at Link and Malon as their horses started moving.  
"I still don't think this is a good idea," she stated.  
"You wanted normal, I'm giving you normal," Link insisted.  
Hearing the hushed tone of their voices as they headed off into Kakariko Village, Malon looked at the two blonds riding Epona. She frowned at the sight of them so close together. I could've had a chance, she thought, if I hadn't made a complete fool out of myself. When she looked up, she realized that they were almost there. While they approached the entrance Malon went ahead to lead the way for them. In the darkness of the night, they left their horses out as they climbed off of them. Then, they headed up several stairs and found two rather small buildings, made of wood, across from another. "This is the Bazaar," Malon said, indicating to one of them, then turned to the other. "Here's our bar. It used to be the potion shop." Even though they were still outside, the music and noise that went on in there was still heard by them. Suddenly, Zelda was scared to go in.  
Malon had already walked inside, and as Link was about to, he noticed Zelda wasn't moving. He turned around. "Aren't you coming?" he asked her. Hesitating to answer, she bit her lip. "What if…something happens?" she wondered. Link shook his head reassuringly. "I promise, nothing will happen," he guaranteed. Then, he let out his hand. Tentatively, she accepted it and walked inside with him. When they went through the doors, the light hurt Zelda's eyes at first. As she became accustomed to it, she saw a room full of people enjoying themselves as they drank, danced to folk music, and associated with others. She smiled at the sight of delight that took place before her. Still holding her hand, Link led her to a booth where he spotted Malon, who was slipping a glass of wine. When she saw them come toward her, she smiled softly. Zelda decided to sit by Malon, so the girl with the impure mind wouldn't get any ideas. Malon looked at Zelda, who seemed to look very hasty tonight. What's her problem? She thought about the princess to her right, She's the one who gave me bad love advice. However, she didn't say a thing to Zelda. Malon looked past her at Link, who had finally let go of the princess's hand. It was then when a heavy set man (who didn't look as if he was really on the hygienic side), the bartender, came. "What do yer wants?" he asked loudly. Zelda grumbled. "What do you want…" she corrected him under her breath. Link had ordered a small glass of red wine. Zelda sighed as the bartender looked at her. "What abouts you, Pretty Missy?" he asked as he revealed a yellow, crooked smile. Zelda exhaled deeply, having no clue of what to order, since the pregnancy would not allow her to drink.  
"What do you have?" she asked, hoping he would say tea or something along those lines among his list. "We's got beer, red wine, booze, moon shine, white wine, wine coolers, shots–" "Anything that doesn't have alcohol in it?" she asked, now frustrated with the repugnant and vulgar man. He paused before he answered, "Well…I perpose we gots some water, lady." "Fine. I'll have water." Nodding his head, he went to bring them their water and wine. After the bartender had gone, Link laughed at Zelda's unfortunate predicament. Malon just shook her head. "I can't believe I'm paying for her to have a glass of water," she thought aloud quietly. Hearing the farm girl murmur something, she turned and looked at her. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" she asked. Giving the princess a phony smile, Malon shook her head. "Oh, I was just clearing my breath, your majesty," she said. Pleased with her response, Zelda turned back as the bartender returned and gave her her water. "Thank you," she said as she squeezed a lemon into her glass and began to sip it.  
"Would you like to dance, beautiful miss?" With a broad, ear-to-ear smile, Zelda turned around, expecting the question to be directed to her. "I'd love to." However, that answer did not come from her lips, but from Malon's. The handsome young stranger had asked Malon to dance with him! This made her angry beyond belief as she watched the girl rise and take the gentleman's hand. Wrinkling her nose, Zelda turned back around and gulped down the rest of her water. Link couldn't help but stare at the upset princess. An inspiration came when he heard the next song begin. He recognized the beat of the drums and the tune from the wood-wind instrument. It was the very, quite catchy song of the Deku Palace, where he had been to as a child on one of his previous escapades. He looked over at Princess Zelda, who was tracing a circle with her finger on the table. "Zelda, would you like to dance with me?" Surprised, she looked at him funnily. "Are you talking to me?" she asked him, then realized it was a stupid question because he had said her name. "Yes," he replied.  
"I'm not much of a dancer," she confessed.  
"That's alright. Because I am." Without waiting for her answer, Link stood up and pulled Zelda from her seat. Then, he twirled her around to the rhythm of the drums. At first, she felt embarrassed. But, as she moved for a little while, she began to have fun. They were the center of attention now, with all the drunkards clapping along to the music as the couple danced and moved their feet swiftly.  
Zelda felt drunker than all of them combined, and all she had to drink was a glass of lemony water. But, at that moment, she didn't care. She was having such a grand time that nothing mattered to her. Before they knew it, they had been in the Kakariko Bar for several hours, even though it felt like only a few minutes.  
Link practically had to force Zelda out of the building. She was laughing and giggling like a young girl. Her cheeks flushed red, and her hair was wild. Link couldn't help but smile at the sight of Zelda for once not looking so "prim and proper." For a moment, he almost couldn't tell it was even her.  
Finding their horses, Link and Zelda climbed onto Epona and Malon went on her own. They were now heading out of Kakariko Village and into Hyrule Fields. Zelda held onto Link's stomach tightly, trying not to fall asleep. As they roamed the fields, a surprise came up.  
Skeletons rose from the ground.  
Malon screamed. Then, when Zelda returned to reality and saw what was going on, she shrieked as well. Oh, not now! Link thought as they approached them. "Keep going!" he cried out to Malon, so she would continue riding. Scared, she hit her horse and ran off to the ranch. Link tried to do the same as well. However, the living skeletons planted by Ganondorf were now too close. Epona couldn't handle all the sharp turns Link wanted her to make. She jumped up in the midst of riding, causing Zelda to lose grip and crash to the ground. The princess screamed, terrified beyond what anyone could imagine. Link's heart was beating a million beats per second when he saw that Zelda was in danger. Hurriedly, he climbed off Epona and reached for his sword.  
One by one, he chopped them up into a millions of tiny pieces. Then, he heard a painful cry emerge from Zelda's mouth. Link looked and saw that a few were still alive and had clawed at the princess. With a powerful yell, he threw one final blow at the carcasses, finishing them off. Then, he ran to Zelda to see the damage.  
He found her softly sobbing on the ground. Apprehensively he bent down to her. "Where's they cut you?" he asked. Then, Zelda revealed the red spot on her dress, and lifted it to show the long, bleeding cut on her inner thigh. His eyes widened when he saw it. "What if…my baby…" Zelda tried to say, but couldn't finished as she tried to wipe the abiding tears from her face. Link then took off his hat and tried to wipe some of the blood off of her leg. Afterward, he picked her up and motioned for Epona to follow him as he carried her back to the ranch, praying that another quandary wouldn't arise.  
Why wasn't I able to use my magic? Zelda thought to herself, worried and disappointed. What happened? A few minutes later, they saw the entrance to the Lon Lon Ranch. Seeing that they had made it, Malon ran out to the two. "Oh my goodness!" she cried out when she saw the mess Zelda was, "She's hurt!" "I need you to bring a bucket of warm water and some towels," he told her and Malon ran off as she took the princess to her room and laid her on the bed. Zelda sat up. She was too distressed to be lying down. Soon, Malon returned with a bucket and soft towels. "I'll fix her something to eat," she offered, leaving them alone as she closed the door.  
Link took a towel and dipped it into the hot water and rung it out. "…Lift up your dress," he told her hesitantly. Uncomfortably, she raised her dressed up to her upper thigh area. Link took the warm, moist towel and began to wipe away the blood. Zelda squinted her eyes and bit her lips as she felt the terrible burning on her leg. Then, Link went to her face, which was a little muddy and covered with scratches. With a different towel he slowly began to wipe her forehead. He did not take his eyes off of hers. As Link moved to her cheek area, he couldn't help but feel a great deal of tension come over his body. Without completely realizing it, he took the tips of his fingers and ran them down her cheek tenderly. The feeling of his fingertips caressing her caused a shiver to go down Zelda's spine. Now, she could feel his breath hitting her face. She could smell the fragrance of his body. An emotion of desire overpowered her as he continued to gently touch her face. The way he looked into her eyes was so honest and sincere. At that moment, he had never looked more handsome and compassionate as he did just then. The only sound was that of their heartbeats and breath, which seemed to create a rhythm of its own.  
"Do you think the baby…?" she began softly, but Link shook his head and smiled.  
"The baby's going to be fine." Zelda knew what was to happen next. She closed her eyes, and a moment later, felt Link's lips sink into hers. The kiss was smooth and sweet, as if their lips were made of honey. Zelda placed her hands on his cheeks, bringing him closer to her. Link didn't resist or pull back. At that moment, Zelda did not want to think of anything. It would only ruin everything. Then, there was a knock at the door.  
Immediately, they separated from each other. An instant later, Malon walked in, carrying a bowl of hot oatmeal. The two turned away and stared at her, causing the maiden to feel awkward. "I brought you something to eat, my lady…" she spoke, sensing that there was something going on as she brought the warm bowl over to the princess. Accepting it, Zelda said, "Thank you." However, Malon didn't leave right away. She had an eerie feeling lurking inside of her.  
She looked at the innocent-looking princess's face, and then over to the young man kneeling down beside her. The glow in their eyes told her that there was more going on in the room besides Link tidying the wreck of a lady up. But, she only shook her head, finally comprehending that Link was not her property and he had the right to do what he wanted with his private and romantic life. With a sigh, the farm girl opened the door. "Well…good night," she said. The two replied an additional 'good-night' before Malon departed from them.  
And there they were again… Alone.  
Now, things seemed to be more gauche and discomforting than they were before. They didn't know what to say to each other after what had happened. Zelda cleared her throat, purposely disrupting the uncanny silence that had swept over the room. "Good night, Link," she said to him. Standing up, Link did the same as well. "Good night, Princess Zelda," he replied. Then, he headed for the door.  
"Wait, Link–!" He turned around. Zelda hesitated, but then finally managed a heartwarming smile. "I…I had a great time tonight." Link was surprised to here her say that.  
"Even with the incident in Hyrule Field?" he asked.  
"But what came after that was the most memorable," was her answer. Link blushed, giving her a shy smile before he finally opened the door and left. Then, Zelda knocked herself back down on the bed, looked up to the ceiling, and laughed. But then she remembered who she had kissed.  
Link…Luke Archer! The man you claimed you hated in high school! But, then she remembered that this wasn't high school any more, and that they weren't little children, either. Though, she couldn't help but feel weird about the whole situation. She placed her fingertips on her lips, remembering and savoring the kiss Link had given her with his own supple lips. And she recalled the trembling sensation he gave her with his soft touch on her cheek.  
Just when she thought the worst of him–that Link was a perverted, materialistic, cocky, rude, unmannered jerk–he goes and acts like a gentleman, driving her crazy with a kiss that made her body shudder and her heart melt. After eating her oatmeal, she realized how tired she was soon after he left. Sitting up, she blew out her candle, allowing complete darkness to fill the room. Then, she at last fell into a deep sleep.  
My magic…was the last thought that ran through her head that night. What happened…?  
The next morning, an argument arose between Link and Zelda.  
"No, you aren't doing anything without me!" Zelda yelled at him, after he had told her to stay put while he would go look for the Great Fairy at Lake Hylia. However, she did not take the news as well as he'd expected her to. The princess was fuming, furious that the idea would even come to his mind. Link still refused. "You can't risk getting hurt again, Princess," he explained. Zelda only shook her head at him. "Are you my father to tell me what I can and can't do?" she asked with an attitude.  
"No, but you sure are acting like a child." Now she remembered why she had disliked him so much before.  
Steam seemed to come out of Zelda's ears. It took all she had to keep from choking Link. "You can't leave me here!" she added, "You remember what Impa said: we must stick together. That's the only way we'll defeat Ganondorf." Link knew that Zelda did have a point. But, the idea of her getting hurt again and possibly losing the child was a more important option for him. "Besides…" she continued, "…Hadn't it even occurred to you that maybe I had something to ask the Great Fairy as well?" Link didn't know if she was serious, or if she was making things up just to go with him. But, he also recalled Impa's words to them. They had to stay by each other's sides. For a moment, Link didn't say anything. What was a guy supposed to do? Should he let Zelda come and risk getting her hurt again? Or, should he leave her here, and then risk the future of Hyrule. He sighed as he made his final decision.  
"You better get dressed, Princess." Zelda grinned, knowing that she had won. Hurriedly, she ran off into her legroom to change back into her royal dress, recently washed up by Malon. Knowing that Zelda was going to take a half hour at the least to pretty herself up, Link headed towards the stable. There, he saw Talon tending to the horses: feeding them, brushing their backside, and laying down a bucket of cold water for them to drink. When he saw the young man, Talon looked up.  
"Good morning, Link? How was your night?" he asked, and Link tried to think of a good answer. "It was…quite interesting," he replied. Talon nodded. "It's good that Malon finally got to go out and have fun," he said, "All she ever does is work here, on the farm." Link cleared his throat before he began.  
"I'm leaving for Lake Hylia today," he said, which interested Talon enough for him to stop what he was doing and pay attention. "I might not be back," he finished. Talon sighed. "I see," he said, "…Well, I know that a man's got to do what a man's got to do. It was nice having you here, Link." "Thanks for letting us stay here until we could get things settled," Link added as he recalled the previous morning and afternoon where he had collected some items and weapons he would need for his journey. He persuaded the lovely little maiden who worked at the Bazaar in Kakariko Village to give him a bow and arrow for free after he explained the circumstances and used his charms on her. He also was able to find several bombs among Hyrule Fields. However, it still didn't change the fact that he was broke.  
As if Talon had read his mind, he told Link, "You can't just leave us empty handed. You'll need some rupees here to get you started." Link smiled as the man left the horses and soon came back with a wallet. "There's about one hundred rupees," he said as he handed the wallet to Link, "That should be enough for now, right?" Link nodded. "Yeah. Thanks a lot. You've been a great help." "No problem…My, there's our beauty now." Link didn't know what he was talking about at first, until he looked behind him and saw an elegant and glamorous Princess Zelda, once again wearing her royal dress. Her lips were a deep magenta, and her eye lids sparkled a lustrous lavender. Link couldn't help but smile at the beautiful work of art before him, coming his way.  
"I'm ready," she said calmly. Link then looked from Zelda to Talon. "I better go get Malon and Ingo," he told the two, "They'll want to say good bye as well, I'm sure." Hastily, Talon ran off to find them. Link returned his gaze back on Zelda, who seemed to be more radiant than ever. "I guess it's just you and me," he said. The princess smiled. Wasn't she just completely enraged at him a mere moment ago? Her emotions were everywhere. First, she hated him. Then, she thought she might possibly admire him. It was down hill from there.  
Talon returned with Ingo and Malon besides him. Malon looked upset, probably knowing why her father had rushed her out here. "Link and Princess Zelda are leaving," he announced. Ingo let out a hand for them to shake. "That's too bad," he told them, "Seeing your lovely face, Princess, brought me more joy on this farm." Zelda couldn't help but smile and blush. Malon didn't give her farewell right away. She just stood there for a moment, looking at them.  
"Aren't you going to say good bye, my daughter?" Sighing, she managed to make eye contact with Zelda. "Goodbye, my lady," she told her, and then curtseyed. Then, she looked at Link. She didn't know what to say to him. Link decided to do it for her. "Good bye, Malon," he told her, "Thank you for everything." She smiled at him.  
"Good bye, Link." Then, she called Epona over. The horse came running instantly. Upon arriving, Link and Zelda climbed on. After that, they left the Lon Lon Ranch, leaving the three farmers waving behind them. Malon stared off into the distance. Then, she smiled. There were plenty of more fish in the sea, she thought. And Link was only a little goldfish among the millions that were still out there.  
Back in Hyrule Fields. Thankfully, it was daylight, which meant no unexpected visitors from the grounds. They were on their way to Lake Hylia, which wasn't too far off. Link was riding a thousands miles an hour on Epona, which started to scare Zelda at the tremendous speed at which they were going. "Link!" she cried out, "You're going too fast!" Hearing her, he tried to make Epona slow down a little bit. He didn't want the pregnant woman throwing up on him. The horse then turned and made several sharp turns, jumping over numerous fences. Zelda held onto Link's stomach as tightly as she could, praying that she would not fall once again. Soon enough, they had arrived at the unpopulated Lake Hylia. Upon reaching their destination, they climbed off of Epona. Zelda beamed at the sight of the beautiful lake and grasses that surrounded this place. "Now what?" she asked Link. First, he looked around before answering her question, trying to recall the surroundings of the familiar area. "I guess we have ourselves a fairy to look for." Zelda scrunched her face. "But…how are we supposed to do that?" she asked him. "It's like hide and seek," he told her, "We look everywhere until we find her." The princess only shook her head at him. "I swear, Link," he commented, "You are so immature at times that, actually, it isn't even that hard to believe." Silence.  
Seeing that he wasn't to respond, she continued. "Also, you seem to think like a child! You never use your brain, which I do hope you have one, and you are always–" Then, he pushed her into the lake.  
Zelda screamed as Link began laughing. "LINK!" she yelled, "I'm all wet!" The young man was unable to stop his hysterics. The sight of Zelda soaking wet and just sitting there was just too hilarious. But it also gave him a feeling of remorse. He let out his hand to help her up. Smiling cleverly, she accepted his hand…and then pulled him in alongside her. Another large splash occurred as he fell in. Now, Zelda was the one to have her laugh.  
Trying not to smile, Link threw water into her face. "You ruined my make-up!" she cried. Then, she pushed him down again. They weren't getting much accomplished by doing this, but they did enjoy the exuberance. They had become as wet as can be as they continued to splash water on one another. They also thought no one was watching them.  
"Why, get out of that there lake 'er mine, yer good for nothin' munchkins!" Out of shock, Link and Zelda immediately jumped up at the same time, creating a very substantial, large splash of water. When the waters rested, they saw a short, stout, old woman with crinkly gray hairs and a long, bent nose. Her feet were long and narrow, covered with flat slippers. She wore a long (well, for her, anyway) black dress that Zelda considered to be one of the most distressing looking ones she had ever laid eyes upon. For a while, they only stared at her.  
"YOU HEARDS ME!" Hastily, they stood and ran out of the lake, obeying the woman's orders. Slowly, she approached the two wet adults. The old woman looked up at them, and then took a whiff of the sides of their stomachs. "Hmm…" she mumbled, "That there scent I smell smellers like some good fornication." Link and Zelda gave the woman a bewildering look. "Take yers sexual relations elsewheres and NOT at my lake, ye' hears me?" she yelled, sticking her nose in the air. Zelda wanted to kick the annoying, old woman. "Listen, lady," she began, "We were NOT having 'sexual relations at yer here lake,' do you hear? And also, this is NOT your lake!" Afterwards, she felt very proud of herself. The old woman only shook her head at her.  
"I is Olga Badolga. I lives here," she told the princess, "And who mights yous be?" Without hesitation, Zelda proudly proclaimed her title. "I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule," she declared. Hearing that, Olga began to laugh (which sounded more like a 'hee-haw' than an actual 'ha'). "Why, isn't that there where a certain feller named Ganondorf has taken overs yer castle?" she laughed. Zelda frowned. Olga then turned from Zelda to Link. "And who is you, handsome?" she asked. "I'm Link," he replied. Olga nodded. "Wellers then, Link, why do yer come here at Lake Hylia?" "We're…looking for a fairy." She stomped her foot. "Great! Because yer looking at yer fairy lady," Olga said, and then motioned for the two to follow her. She led them to a small cottage at the other side of the lake. She opened the door and let them inside. To his astonishment, Link found himself in a room of tiny fairies, most in bottles. They reminded him of his first fairy from a while ago, Navi. However, these were not the fairies he was looking for. Olga Badolga took a bottle and opened it, releasing a fairy that glowed pink. "Here yer goes, Link," she told him as the fairy flew to his side, "Hers name is Sprita." The thumb sized fairy flew around him in a circle. "She'll be yer lil' buddy." "Hi!" Sprita proclaimed in a high-pitched voice. Link chuckled, letting out the palm of his hand for the fairy to rest. However, Zelda stepped in. "He didn't mean that sort of fairy," she told Olga rudely, "He wanted to know where he could find the Great Fairy." Ignored her discourtesy, Olga nodded as she understood. "I sees," she said, "You wants to find ther Great Fairy, eh? Well, I heards about hers being somewheres here, buts I never evers seed her. Can't help er there." Link sighed. "Well, thank you for Sprita, ma'am," he said, "She'll be of good help." Olga couldn't help but grin at the young man. "Looks like what we's gots here is a charmer," she commented, "…Not too many charmers living anymores. You better keep yer eye on him, lil' girl." Zelda rolled her eyes. Yeah…Link, a real lady killer. As the two began to leave, Miss Badolga called out to them from her cottage. "Be carefuls, you two!" she yelled, "Lake Hylia isn't as safe as her used to be's!" Zelda was relieved when they finally were away from the old woman. "What a nutcase!" she told Link as they walked alongside the lake. However, Link ignored her as he kept his eyes on his new companion: the fairy, Sprita. The little lady flew around him curiously. "Where are we going?" her shrill voice said. "We're going to find the Great Fairy," he replied. Then, a tiny gasp was heard from Sprita. "You mean, the Great Fairy?" she asked, "Wow! Miss Badolga always told me about her! I can't believe I'm finally going to be able to meet her!" Already, Zelda began to get annoyed by the tiny creature with wings. She just wanted to step on her and rub her foot on the ground afterwards. Sprita just would not shut up and her voice was so high and piercing it made Zelda's eardrums about to burst. Now, they were walking around aimlessly, looking for some silly, half-naked fairy to receive a crystal from her.  
It took them a while before they finally reached a great big boulder, which meant a dead end. Zelda grunted as she wrinkled her nose. "WONDERFUL!" she yelled angrily, "We've been walking for ages, especially when we've could've used the damn horse, and now we have to turn ALL the way back around and start over! UGHH!" Out of anger, she kicked the boulder, and it began to crack. In an instant, an idea came to Link's mind, causing him to grin. Out of his bag, he pulled out a bomb. Zelda's eyes widened as he lit it up and laid it down before the boulder. "What the–" she began, but was interrupted when Link pushed her out of the way, and moments later, the bomb exploded.  
After the smoke had cleared, there was now a new entrance. Link grabbed the princess's hand as he led her inside the newly discovered opening, Sprita following. At first, it was dark and creepy. Zelda was glued to Link's side as they continued going forward. "Quit being such a baby," Link told her, and she smacked him. Link's new tiny companion was their only source of light. However, when they finally reached the end, a door stood in their way. Hurriedly, Zelda ran and tried to open it…but the entry was locked. Again, the aggravated princess began to yell. Provoked, Link pushed her out of the way. When he saw the circumstances, he shook his head.  
"Only you would turn the knob the wrong way." With saying that, he turned the handle and the door was opened. A brilliant flash of light hit them. Slowly, Link, Zelda, and Sprita entered. The room was so beautiful that not even Zelda was used to luxury this excellent. The ground seemed to be made of diamond, crystal, and glass. In the center, there was a tiny pond with a lovely fountain, shooting out fresh and crisp water. Link led the way as he approached the fountain, Sprita by his side as Zelda watched from a short distance. Then, there was an enormous ray of light. Link had to squint his eyes as he saw the woman appear, flying in the center: the Great Fairy. She was certainly beautiful, with hot pink hair in many ponytails and a face with many lovely features. Sprita was especially thrilled to see her.  
"Ah…I've been expecting you, Hero of Time." First, there was a glow from her hands, and Link then felt the power fill his body. He looked down at his feet, and noticed his boots were different. "I have filled you with power and more strength. These are the Hover Boots," she explained, "As you remembered them last, they helped you walk on air for a few seconds…But, now you will be able to use the cuffs as blades." The glow came again from the tips of her fingers. A red crystal appeared in the mid air. Then, it dropped and Link caught it. "This is the Heart's Eye Crystal," she explained, "When combined with the other two, it will give you the power you need to open up the barrier to Ganon's castle once again." Link thanked her just before Zelda rushed to the fairy.  
"Excuse me!" Zelda cried out, "My magic…where…how?" The princess was at a loss for words. The Great Fairy only smiled at her. "Your magic stayed with me during the time of your rebirth, Princess," she explained, "And it shall now be returned to you." Zelda walked closer to the fountain as she felt the Great Fairy's hand touch her forehead. She could feel her powers returning to her at that moment. When she opened her eyes, she lifted up her hand and could see the twinkle of pink sparks arise from her finger tips. Things were starting to become normal once again. "Before I go, I must tell you that a surprise I planted is waiting by the lake. I hope you find it!" she told them. Then, with a smile and a giggle, the Great Fairy twirled and vanished, leaving only the fountain, as it had previously been. Zelda was too ecstatic and overjoyed to notice that she had gone. Why should she care now? Her magic was returned to her! Link, however, was in a hurry to find his 'surprise' that awaited him by the lake.  
"Princess, we have to go," he told her, grasping her hand. She followed him out of the secret passage way and back out to the mid-day light of Lake Hylia. They had to hurry, however, since nightfall would arrive in only a matter of hours. Link ran frantically, looking for anything that didn't seem familiar to him. Then, Zelda noticed something glowing an eccentric yellow amongst the grasses. "Er…Link!" she called out, "I think I found something!" The boy hurried to her side. Thankfully, they had found what they had been looking for? Carefully, he picked the weapons up from the ground. In his hands now were a several light arrows and a mirror shield, that would reflect any magical attacks towards him. Alongside them were ten red rupees. However, even though they had gotten the first crystal, they still had two more to go. Then, it would finally be time to face their adversary, Ganondorf himself. It was still only the beginning of their journey, and the rest was yet to come.  
Even though he had only had domination of the castle for several days now, he began to become quite used to it. The man of great evil knew what he was getting into, and he couldn't wait until all the pieces of the puzzle were put together. He had the force of power, and all he needed now was wisdom and courage…The ones that lay in the hearts of Link and Zelda.  
Those toys are too much for those children to handle…he thought to himself. But, he didn't worry too much about it. He knew that the foolish couple was trying to find a way to stop him, even at this second. He laughed at the mere thought of it, Those imprudent kids don't know what they're getting themselves into. In a way, the thought pleased him. He wouldn't mind to face one last duel with Link. It's been a while, hasn't it? The kid will die with honor.  
Ganondorf waited for them to come, because he knew for certain that they would.  
Stupid kids…he thought with a sinister smirk, This will be the last journey of their lives. 


End file.
